Every Rose Has Its Thorn
by Tori of Lorien
Summary: "I've already seen you have no love in your heart." Can Isabella Calaway, a girl with nowhere to belong, find home with a man who thought he would never love? Modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Edge/OC.
1. Prologue

**Every Rose Has Its Thorn**

**Summary**: "I've already seen you have no love in your heart." Can Isabella Calaway, a girl with nowhere to belong, find home with a man who thought he would never love? Modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Edge/OC.

**Rating**: T

**Genre**: Drama/Romance

**Cast of Characters**

_Belle_: OC  
_Beast_: Edge  
_Gaston_: John Morrison  
_Lumiere_: Drew McIntyre  
_Cogsworth_: Randy Orton  
_Mrs. Potts_: Christian  
_Le Fou_: The Miz  
_Feather Duster_: Tiffany  
_Maurice_: The Undertaker

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE. Nor do I own Beauty and the Beast. A few twists later, I do own this nifty little story, lol.

**Author's Note**: I've always loved Beauty and the Beast. It's been my favorite Disney movie since I was a little girl, and I haven't lost my love for it. WWE is my main focus. Combining the two together was a random burst of inspiration that after experimenting with it a bit, worked out pretty well. Thank you to **x0allisonqt0x** and **ThePinkyPop** for encouraging me to get this story posted. The chapter titles will be named after songs from the Broadway musical. So, thanks to those clicking on this, and I hope you enjoy it! Your reviews are much appreciated, just no flames please. Enjoy!

_Prologue_

Adam Copeland smiled to himself as he drove down the dark street, feeling excited as he did before every show. Beside him, his best friend, Jay Reso, turned up the radio a bit when "The Final Countdown," a shared road trip favorite, came on their mixed CD. Adam drummed the steering wheel while he came to a stop at a set of red lights, nodding his head along with Jay as they laughed a little.

"I had to sit back here with these two again why?" Randy Orton, another person who usually traveled with them between shows, spoke up from the back with annoyance.

Drew Galloway, sitting in between Randy and his girlfriend, Taryn Terrel, rolled his eyes. "Please, do enlighten me, Randy, as to what we were doing," he said sarcastically, giving him an equally annoyed look.

Randy looked back at him. "I don't want to be a part of your little love fest, if you don't mind," he told them. "Get a room."

Taryn leaned around Drew to look at Randy better. "He just kissed me once," she muttered. "If you care so much..."

"Oh, I don't," Randy replied, a grin on his face. "Just save it for when I steal Jay's seat after the show."

Jay laughed, about to turn around and threaten to have Adam pull the car over, but stopped when he suddenly gasped with surprise. In the glow of the headlights, he saw that an old woman was standing in the middle of the dark street in front of them, holding what appeared to be a rose in her wrinkled hand, and they were heading straight for her. "Adam, look out!"

Adam frantically swerved to the left, sighing with relief when he missed the woman, but he still came to a stop since they were the only ones on the road so his heart rate could slow to normal.

"Where the hell did she come from?" Randy demanded, trying to calm himself down.

"I don't know, but she's crazy for being in the middle of the road like that at night," Drew muttered, wrapping his arm around a clearly shaken Taryn. "She's lucky she wasn't hit..."

Jay took a deep breath as he looked out his window to try to find her to make sure she was all right. "Hey, where did she go?" he wondered.

Adam looked up, leaning over toward his best friend to try to see too. "I don't know..."

Suddenly, they heard tapping on his window, and Taryn screamed as Adam quickly turned back around, seeing that the old woman was standing just on the other side of his door. Calming his breathing, Adam cautiously began to lower his window.

"Don't do that!" Taryn hissed quietly to him.

But Adam ignored her as he lowered the window a bit more to talk to the old woman he had almost hit. "Yes?" As he looked up into her face, there was something about her deep blue eyes as they stared into his that made him feel like she could see right through him.

"I need to get into the city," the woman told him, her voice cracking with years of use. "But these old bones won't get me there. Could you help an old woman out? I will give you this rose for your trouble."

Adam noticeably hesitated, his eyes quickly passing over the flower she offered him. "I'm afraid not, ma'am," he replied. "My car is full, and we're running a bit late already. There's nothing I can do."

"Oh, but, young man-!"

The rest of her sentence was cut off when Adam rolled up his window, but she didn't back away from the car. "I'm sorry," he said, unsure if she could hear him or not. He pressed lightly down on the gas so the car slowly inched forward, watching as the woman moved away before continuing to drive down the dark street. His hands were clenched tightly around the steering wheel, eyes continuously moving to the rear-view mirror as he watched them get further and further from the old woman.

"Was it just me, or was there something weird about her?" Taryn asked, breaking the tense silence. She felt Drew's arm tighten around her a bit, and she laid her head on his shoulder.

"No, you're right," Randy muttered, rolling his eyes when he found himself agreeing with her. "Something was definitely off about her."

Jay sighed as he looked over at Adam, noticing that his jaw was set and his knuckles were turning white from how tightly he was holding the wheel. "I still think there might have been something we could have done to help her," he muttered.

"I don't know, Jay," Adam replied just as quietly, inwardly relieved that he was just getting away from that strange woman. He had a bad feeling about her. "I just don't know."

* * *

As soon as Adam arrived at the arena and prepared for his match, the incident was completely driven from his mind. He stood in the ring, surrounded by cheering fans as his opponent for that night, Mark Calaway, known as The Undertaker, made his way down the ramp, and all thoughts of the strange old woman were forgotten.

He watched as the other man climbed into the ring, and an excited smile formed on his face as he raised his hat, revealing the whites of his eyes. Adam looked at Mark intently as they both began to circle, meeting up in the center of the ring once the bell was rung.

Adam stumbled when he was pushed forcefully back by Mark, but he was able to stay on his feet. He moved out of the way when the older man came at him, sending him into the ring post. But Mark got to his feet quickly and knocked him down to with a heavy clothesline.

The two men continued to exchange hits, neither one gaining an easy advantage. The cheering of the crowd around them showed they were getting into the match, the sound driving both men. Once Adam had Mark where he wanted him, he went for the spear, looking to end the match early. Mark wasn't through, however, and when Adam was close enough, he reached out and grabbed his neck to stop him.

But as Adam looked at the other man with wide eyes, he gasped when an image of the old woman from before flashed through his mind, the rose she had offered him held delicately in her wrinkled, claw-like fingers. The scarlet petals appeared to have a soft glow to them, and her dark eyes mirrored that light as it felt like she was staring right at him...

Mark hesitated for a moment when he saw the change in Adam's eyes, which appeared to grow darker, as he lifted him above his head. But that slight pause was enough time for the younger man to escape from his hold and drop back down to the ring, and Adam grabbed onto his leg, causing him to fall. With a small growl in his throat, he forcefully twisted Mark's knee with unnatural strength until a loud snap could be heard.

The bell to end the match was immediately rung while Mark cried out in agony, holding his knee. Adam watched him for a moment with a cruel smile on his face, his eyes shining darkly. But then, he gasped when he felt a sharp pain in his head, and Adam closed his eyes as he stumbled back away from the other man. He fell against the ropes and scooted back into the ring post, clutching his head tightly.

When the pain died down to a more manageable level, Adam slowly raised his head, looking at Mark writhing in pain with horror. He didn't understand what had happened. He had been going along with the match, but when the image of the old woman with the rose appeared in his mind, a different, feral kind of instinct had taken over, one that he hadn't been able to control...

"I'm sorry," Adam mouthed to Mark when he looked angrily in his direction before his view was blocked by the referee and a team of medics that had arrived in the ring. When he was sure that the other man would be taken care of, he rolled out of the ring, ignoring everyone around him as he ran up the ramp without looking back.

Once backstage, Adam immediately made his way to the locker rooms, wanting to leave the arena as soon as possible. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he didn't want to hurt anyone else. He quickly changed out of his ring attire and packed his bag, putting it over his shoulder before making his way toward the door.

But he paused when he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror above the sink, and Adam slowly wandered over to it, studying his face closely in the dim lighting. Everything appeared to be normal...

Suddenly, Adam gasped when he saw a shadow of the old woman's reflection looking back at him, his wide, fearful eyes almost black like hers as a cruel smile twisted his lips...

Crying out with frustration, Adam felt his fist collide with the mirror, the glass shattering on impact. Ignoring the blood coming from his knuckles, he put his hands to his head and leaned on the sink when the sharp pain returned, closing his eyes tightly as he fought the urge to be sick.

What was happening to him?

Then, a hand landed on Adam's shoulder from behind, and he grabbed the person's wrist, prepared to fight back if he had to as he quickly turned to face whoever had approached him.

"Hey, Adam, relax. It's just me."

Adam took a deep, calming breath, releasing his best friend's hand. He watched as he pulled it close and rubbed it a bit, realizing that he had almost hurt him too by grabbing his wrist too hard. What concerned him was his lack of control. "I'm sorry, Jay..."

"What happened out there, Man?" Jay asked, his gaze darkening with confusion as he shook his wrist. "Mark's really hurt... Are you okay?"

Adam sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I... I don't know..." he answered quietly, his voice shaking slightly. "I don't know what's happening to me..."

Jay looked at his best friend sadly, noticing his crimson-stained hand and the broken mirror behind him. "Here. Let's get that taken care of," he muttered. He led Adam over to one of the benches and sat him down before going back to dampen some paper towel.

While waiting for him to come back, Adam only stared at the lockers in front of him, wincing whenever the sharp pain surfaced for a split second. He was scared about what was going on since he had no idea what it was...

"This should help," Jay said as he sat down on the bench next to Adam, taking his hand and beginning to wrap it with the wet paper towel.

Adam watched him with disinterest, though the cool water did feel wonderful on the cuts from the glass. "Thank you," he muttered.

Jay merely nodded in response, not looking up at him until he was finished with the paper towel. He sighed as he met his gaze. "Now, what happened?"

"I... I'm not sure myself," Adam told him with defeat, looking down at his hands. "I don't know if I can explain it... But I was fine up until Mark grabbed me for the choke slam."

"What happened then?"

Adam slowly shook his head, not sure if he believed it himself. "I saw her... the old woman," he explained hesitantly. "She was holding the rose, her eyes were dark... And then, something just came over me, this... beast-like instinct I had no control over. That's when I attacked Mark, and I have this strength I know I don't have. Then there was this terrible pain in my head, and I came back to my sense... Jay, I think I'm losing my mind..."

Jay looked at his best friend incredulously, unsure of what he meant. "So, you're saying that old woman we saw on the way here had something to do with this?" he wondered.

"I don't know, Jay," Adam said in nearly a whisper, putting his head into his hands. "I don't know what's happening to me... But I can't do this anymore, Jay. I can't hurt anyone else..."

Sighing, Jay placed his hand on his tensed back, but before he could say anything to offer support, the door to the locker room opened and Randy entered. "Mark's in bad shape," he told them, stopping in front of the bench where they were and sat across from them. "The medics don't think he'll be able to return with his knee."

Adam slowly raised his head to look at Randy, his pale face containing no expression. "He's not the only one not coming back," he muttered, his mind made up as he reached down and grabbed his bag before getting to his feet. "This is my last night. I can't do the same to someone else. If you know what's best for you, both of you should stay away from me too."

Randy and Jay exchanged shocked looks while Adam left the locker room, and they stood and quickly followed after him. "Adam, what are you talking about?" Randy called, hurrying to catch up with their friend. "We're not going to just leave you-!"

"Look!" Adam snapped, stopping and turning to face them when they approached. "I don't know what's going on, but something is starting to take over me, something I can't control. I don't want to do to you what I did to Mark. You need to stay away from me so I can't hurt you too."

Jay sighed as he looked at the other man. "I don't know what's going on either, but I'm not going to let you go through it alone," he told him. "You're my best friend, Adam. We're going to help you."

Adam's angry gaze faltered as he looked at Jay. He didn't know what he would do if he hurt the man he considered to be his brother. "But, Jay-!"

"But nothing," Jay interrupted, a kind smile appearing on his face. "It's a risk we're willing to take."

Though it was against his better judgement, Adam couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. He needed his friends' support. "Thank you, guys."

Then, all three of them looked up when they heard hurried footsteps, and they watched as Drew and Taryn approached them, both looking confused and a bit horrified. "Adam, what happened?" the Scotsman asked. "Everyone is furious about Mark..."

"We'll explain once we're at the hotel," Jay told him, knowing that Adam wanted to leave as soon as he could. "We don't really understand it ourselves, but now is not the time."

The couple offered no further comments as Adam led the way out of the arena, his four friends following close behind as they headed toward their car. But they all stopped with surprise when they saw that there was someone waiting for them by the driver's door.

"_You_!" Adam hissed, his eyes narrowing when he saw the old woman they had encountered on the way to the show.

"How did she get here?" Taryn whispered, clinging to Drew's arm tightly. But no one could answer her question.

The old woman said nothing as she slowly walked away from the car, her dark eyes resting solely on Adam as she made her way toward the group. Adam wanted to back up to get away from her, but he found he could only stare at her with horror as she got closer.

"You couldn't have taken a moment of your time to help a poor old woman out?" she said, stopping in front of Adam.

"I-I'm sorry, ma'am," Adam muttered, not able to tear his eyes away from hers. He would do anything if it meant she would leave him alone. "If you want me to call for a taxi or something, I'd-!"

"Too late." Adam felt dread flood through him when he heard the woman's sudden darker, harsher tone. "I've already seen you have no love in your heart."

"What do you-!"

Before Adam could finish his question, the woman placed one of her crooked, bony fingers on his chest over his heart, and his eyes widened with shock when an intense pain formed in his head. He looked down at his chest with horror, watching a dark light began to spread from where her finger had rested...

"Stop it!" Jay suddenly shouted, and the woman lowered her finger. Adam watched as the darkness disappeared, but whatever she had just done left him feeling weak. He stumbled back, his legs collapsing from beneath him, but Jay and Drew caught him and gently sat him on the ground. Taryn knelt next to them while Randy stepped in front of the three, separating them from the woman.

"What did you do?" he demanded angrily.

"Only showing him what he truly is," the woman said casually before turning her attention to Adam while he tried to catch his breath. Then, she pulled out the rose she had offered him before, holding it out for him to take.

"This rose will continue to bloom for one more full year," she told him once Adam took it. "If you cannot learn to love another and earn her love as well before the last petal falls, then you will become the beast I see in you. Your friends will suffer a similar fate."

Fear fell over the group as they exchanged looks of disbelief. "What does she mean?" Drew muttered.

Then, Jay gasped when he looked down at his chest, seeing that a soft, black glow had appeared over his heart. He quickly looked around, seeing that there was a similar light on Randy, Drew, and Taryn. They only stayed for a moment, though, before slowly fading away.

Growling angrily, Randy quickly looked up to face the old woman. "What did you do to us?"

But he was shocked to see that she was nowhere to be found. All that was left of her was the single rose she had given to Adam, which he was holding tightly in his hand as if he was afraid to let it go.

Then, the five watched as one petal fell and drifted gently down to the sidewalk, lingering for only a moment before being rushed away by the wind. Adam watched it until it disappeared from sight, his hope going along with it since he knew their time was limited.

Who could ever learn to love him?

**Author's Note**: That's it for the prologue! Hope you like it, and your reviews are much appreciated! Just no flames. Thank you!


	2. Chapter 1: Belle

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey! Thank you to **x0allisonqt0x**, **ThePinkyPop**, **stephiexo95**, **Twisted-Skittle**, and **StraightxEdgex1991** for your great reviews! Glad you liked the prologue! Here's chapter one. Enjoy!

_Chapter 1- Belle_

_Twelve months later..._

Isabella Calaway stepped out of the backseat of the taxi cab, shivering in the cool air as she looked up at the two-story wooden house she would be staying in for some time. It was the house that her father had moved into from his home in Death Valley to be with her mother after they got married, one that she hadn't seen since she had left for college in warm, sunny California to become an art major. It was hard to be back in the often harsh Minneapolis winter where she had grown up.

It had been at a show in this city that her father's beloved wrestling career had come to an abrupt end.

Then, Isabella looked away from the house and pulled her bags out of the backseat, thanking and paying the driver before she began to go up the walkway that led up to where she used to live. She stepped onto the porch, bending down and picking up that day's newspaper that her father hadn't gotten yet. She quickly scanned over the top story, seeing that it was something about a murderer in the area that hadn't been caught yet, before ringing the doorbell.

She only had to wait for a moment before she heard the click of the lock as the door was pulled open, and she grinned as she held up the newspaper. "Good news, they haven't caught you yet," she told the tall, dark-haired man looking back at her.

Mark Calaway laughed a little. "Well, what can I say? They'll never catch me," he said. Then, he smiled as he pulled his daughter into a tight hug. "Good to see you again, Belle."

"You too, Dad," Belle replied, hugging him back before she released him. "I just wish I could see you more than on my breaks."

"The most important thing is that you finish school, Belle." Mark bent down and picked up her three bags before slowly walking back into the house. "Finish your last semester, and then you can talk to me."

Belle watched him limp through the living room, her gaze landing on his left knee, which was protected by a brace. She remembered hearing about him being injured during a wrestling show twelve months before in a match against a man who's ring name was Edge. Her father had been forced to retire due to the injury, and Edge and a few wrestlers close to him hadn't been seen since.

"How's your knee?" Belle asked as she followed him into the living room. "Is there anything I can help with?"

Mark set her bags on the couch, sighing as he turned to look at her. "Belle, listen to me," he muttered, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I know you're concerned, but it's not your responsibility to take care of me. You're young and have a bright future ahead of you. I'm past that. Besides, I'm fine. I get around a bit slower than I used to, but it's nothing I can't handle. You need to be focusing on what you're going to do with your life, and if you don't, I'll shoot you."

The last comment made Belle laugh a little. "I can't help but worry about you, Dad," she said. "You're all I have."

"And you'll still have me. I'm not going anywhere." Mark smiled and kissed her head. "But I don't want you to feel like you're stuck here taking care of your old man. Nothing would make me happier than to see you out in the world following your dreams. That's what I want."

"Okay, Dad."

Mark laughed a little. "Don't sound too enthused, now." Then, he smiled as he brushed some of her blonde hair behind her ear. "You're getting more beautiful every time I see you."

Belle returned the smile. "I think your eyesight is starting to go, old man," she teased.

"Not quite," Mark replied. "You're really starting to look like your mother."

The compliment made Belle's smile broaden, yet also made her heart ache. She looked up at a picture that was hanging on the wall above the television of three people- her father, her when she was a little girl, and a beautiful, blonde-haired woman that was her mother. Her gaze saddened as she looked at their three smiling faces, knowing that this was the last picture they had taken together before her mother had died due to rare complications from pneumonia. To be told she looked like her was something she took to heart.

Seeming to know what was on her mind, Mark sighed as he picked up her bags again. "Come on, Belle, let's get these to your room," he said.

Belle looked away from the picture and followed Mark as he slowly made his way up the stairs. They came to a room at the end of the hall, and he pushed open the door and entered. Belle stopped in the doorway, looking around the room she had grown up in. There were two pictures sitting on her dresser, one of her and her mother on a slide and one of her and her father, dressed in his typical ring gear, wearing his black hat and holding his world championship. An easel was set up in the corner, her bookshelf filled with some of her favorite books and sketchbooks and littered with pencils, pens, erasers, and paint brushes. She smiled slightly as she looked around at some of her best paintings and sketches that were hanging on the walls, feeling great to be back in her old room.

Mark set her bags down on her bed next to the teddy bear he and his wife had gotten for their daughter when she was born. "Well, you can unpack now if you want, and then we can figure out what to do for dinner," he told her. "You know I don't cook, so we can order a pizza or something..."

"I can't do much better, but I can do Mom's old hamburger pie recipe," Belle replied, wanting to do something a bit more special than pizza on her first night back. "I know it's one of your favorites. What do you say?"

"I say you're being a suck up, that's what," Mark said with a laugh. "But it does sound good."

Belle smiled and laughed a little herself. "All right. Do I need to go to the store to get the stuff?" When Mark didn't say anything, she laughed again. "Luckily it's not far. I'll take a walk over there and pick it up."

"You don't have to, Belle," Mark said. "If you want, I can drive to pick it up. Or you can take the car. It's not in the best of shape, but it should get you there."

"It's okay, Dad. I just spent a long time on a plane and then took a taxi from the airport." Belle smiled. "Some walking would be good for me."

Mark looked at her for a long moment before sighing. "Okay, okay. But at least let me give you the money for it."

Belle didn't want to take his money, but she finally gave in. "Sure, Dad." Then, she gave him another hug. "Love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart."

About ten minutes later, Belle left the house and began to walk to the grocery store a few blocks away. She smiled slightly as she looked around at the neighborhood she hadn't been in for a long time. She saw the park that she and her mother would often go to on a nice afternoon, the elementary school she had attended, the hobby store she had gotten most of her art supplies from. It was all so familiar, yet almost foreign to her now.

She entered the grocery store, seeing that they had done a lot of remodeling since the last time she had been there. Grabbing a basket, Belle started walking around, finding the aisle with canned vegetables as she began to get what she needed for dinner.

"Wow, Belle. Fancy seeing you here. It's been a long time."

Hearing the familiar voice, though not one she particularly wanted to hear, Belle turned and looked at the man standing in the aisle with her. "Yeah, it has," she agreed. "Since graduation."

John Hennigan, someone she had gone to high school with who had joined the WWE under the name John Morrison, smiled. "So, you went out to California for college, right?" he asked. "How's that going?"

"Fine. This is my last year," Belle answered, trying to act uninterested as she put a can of carrots and diced tomatoes in her basket. Her memories with the man weren't the best. "I'm home on break to help my dad out."

"Oh, yeah. I was there during the match when he was injured. I never liked the man that hurt your father, but I didn't expect him to do something like that," John muttered. "But it's good you're here to help."

"Yeah." Belle began to walk down the aisle to look for mashed potatoes, sighing quietly when John kept walking with her. "I just hate seeing his career that he loved so much cut so short."

"He was a good man, a good wrestler." Then, John smiled. "So, how long are you here for?"

"A month," Belle told him, finally finding what she needed.

"Do you want to do something while you're here? Catch up a bit?"

Belle put the box of mashed potatoes in the basket and turned to face him. "Look, I thought you got the point in high school," she told him. "I don't like you like that. So stop wasting your time and go after one of those brainless girls that are always hanging around you. I'm sure they would love to." Without another word, she spun around and headed off to get a pound of hamburger.

John stared after her with surprise, but then he crossed his arms as he glared after her. "Just wait, Belle," he muttered to himself. "Just wait."

"I think that went well."

Sighing, John turned and watched as his best friend and tag team partner Mike "the Miz" Mizanin approached him. He had been a few steps behind John and Belle during their discussion, having seen everything that had happened. "That was sarcasm, by the way," he quickly added when he saw the other man's angry expression.

"I know, Mike," John replied. "I just didn't expect that we'd see Belle."

MIke sighed. "I don't know why you keep going after her, Man," he said. "I mean, she's never really... well... fit in. And besides, she hated your guts in high school, and it looks like that hasn't changed. There are so many girls out there who want you, Man... Why focus on her?"

"Look at her, Mike. She's beautiful," John told him. "I don't want just any girl. I want her."

"But-!"

"No buts, Mike," John interrupted, a smirk appearing on his face. "Soon, Belle will come to see things my way. You'll see."

* * *

"John Hennigan? That boy used to have the biggest crush on you," Mark said, laughing a bit as he took a bite of the hamburger pie his daughter had made.

"Yeah, and it appears he still does," Belle muttered with an annoyed eyeroll. "I can't stand him... He's so conceited."

Mark smiled slightly. "I know, I worked with the guy," he told her. But when he mentioned the WWE, that smile faltered. "So, uh... Any boys out in California I need to be keeping my eye on?"

Belle laughed a little. "No, Dad," she assured him. "I'm not really looking for anyone. I want someone who truly cares about me, you know?"

"Yeah." Then, Mark smiled again. "Well, any candidates need to pass my judgement."

"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way."

The two didn't say anything for a bit while they ate their hamburger pie, neither really knowing what else to say. Then, Mark sighed quietly as he stretched his leg out, wincing a bit when he moved his hand to his knee.

"Are you okay, Dad?" Belle asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Mark answered as he slowly straightened back up. "It's not really painful, but it gets stiff sometimes..."

Belle looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry this happened, Dad," she muttered.

"Don't be silly, it's not your fault." Mark gave her a small smile once the stiffness in his knee went away. "I sometimes wonder if this injury wasn't for the best. It got me thinking about a lot..."

"What do you mean?"

Mark sighed as he met his daughter's gaze. "This is something I should have told you a long time ago," he said. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you much when you were growing up, especially after your mother died..."

Belle sighed too as she set her fork down. "Dad..."

"No, Belle. I realize I wasn't the best father I could have been," Mark continued quietly. "But now... Now that I can't travel around anymore, I can be that father for you, the one I should have been."

"Oh, Dad." Belle got to her feet and walked around the table, hugging Mark tightly. "You're the best."

Mark laughed a little as he wrapped his arm around her. "Well, I wouldn't go that far," he told her. "But I just want you to know how much I love you, kid. Now, finish your dinner before it gets cold."

Once they were both finished eating and the dishes were done, Belle said good night to her father and headed up to her room early since she was exhausted from the long trip. She changed into her pajamas and turned off the light before she collapsed onto her bed, propping herself up on her arm as she picked up the teddy bear she had gotten when she was a baby. She looked at it for a moment and smiled before looking at her bag sitting at the foot of her bed.

Sighing, Belle sat up and turned on the lamp at the head of her bed before unzipping her bag and pulling out her sketchbook. She turned to a page toward the middle where her nearly completed sketch of a rose she was working on was, looking at it closely to see what she could touch up.

Then, she quickly looked up when she heard a quiet knock on the door. "Come in," she said, putting the sketchbook back in her bag and zipping it up.

The door opened, and Mark stepped into the room. "Just making sure you're settling in okay," he told her.

Belle nodded. "Yeah, Dad," she replied. "Everything's okay."

"Good." Mark looked at his daughter for a long moment before sighing. "What's wrong, Belle? Are you not happy to be here?"

"No, I am. That's not it," Belle muttered, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them.

Mark limped into the room and sat down on the bed next to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Then what is it?" he asked.

Belle was quiet for a minute before turning to look at him. "I don't know..." she answered. "Going to the store today got me thinking about how I really don't belong anywhere..."

"What do you mean?"

"You have to admit I've never really fit in here," Belle continued quietly, looking down at her teddy bear again. "I've always been more on my own with my drawings... And even at school now I don't really fit in with anyone. Makes me wonder if I'll ever find a place to belong..."

Mark looked at his daughter sadly as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. "I know it's difficult, Belle," he told her. "But you have your whole life ahead of you to find a place to call home. For now, you always have one here... with me."

Belle smiled as she looked up at Mark, hugging him tightly. "I know," she muttered. "Thanks, Dad."

"Of course. You're still my little girl, you know." Mark kissed her head before he released her and slowly got to his feet. "Get some sleep, Belle, and I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay, Dad." Belle climbed underneath her light blue covers and buried her face in her fluffy pillow, holding her childhood teddy bear close to her. It felt great to be in her own bed again. "Good night."

Mark smiled at his daughter, knowing that it wouldn't be long before she fell asleep as he turned off the lamp. "Good night, Belle."

**Author's Note**: That's it for that one! Thanks for reading. Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	3. Chapter 2: How Long Must This Go On

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: I'm really glad you guys are liking this rewrite and that the characters seem to be fitting! Much thanks to **x0allisonqt0x**, **ThePinkyPop**, **vampiregirl2009 Wolfgirl77769**, **StraightxEdgex1991**, and **stephiex095** for your reviews! Hope you guys like this chapter too! This time, it's named after a song from the Broadway musical.

_Chapter 2- How Long Must This Go On?_

The next morning, Belle woke up to the smell of something cooking from downstairs. She slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she got out of bed and left her room, going downstairs to see what was going on.

When she got to the kitchen, Mark was standing in front of the stove with a frying pan. "Dad, what are you doing?" Belle asked with a laugh, crossing the room to stand next to him.

Mark looked over at her with a slight smile. "I know I don't cook, but I figured frying up some bacon couldn't be too hard," he answered, turning the strips over. "It looks pretty good, huh?"

Belle returned the smile as she watched him. "Looks great, Dad," she told him. "How about I make some eggs to go with it?"

"Sounds good, Belle."

Belle took the eggs out of the refrigerator, starting to prepare for the omelets she knew her father liked. Mark finished with the bacon, turning the stove off before taking out a plate to put it on, and Belle rinsed the pan out before beginning on the eggs.

Once everything was done, Belle and Mark sat down at the table with their breakfast. "So, did you sleep well last night?" he wondered, taking a bite of the omelet first.

"Oh, yeah," Belle replied with a smile. "It was great to be in my own bed again. Dorm rooms just don't compare."

Mark laughed a little. "Well, good. I'm glad you're comfortable," he muttered.

Belle nodded, taking a bite of the bacon. "Of course I am," she said. "Good bacon, by the way."

"Thanks, darlin'. That's one thing I can do, apparently."

"I'm sure there's more you could do," Belle teased.

"Not much more," Mark told her with a laugh. "Your mother was always the cook."

Belle smiled. "While I'm here this month, I'm going to teach you some simple recipes so you can survive on something other than take-out."

"Okay, Belle." Mark returned the smile, both of them beginning to laugh.

Once they were finished eating, Belle offered to do the dishes, and Mark slowly limped into the living room. She joined him once she was done, sitting on the couch next to him. "What are your plans for today?" she asked.

"Nothing really until this afternoon when I go to my physical therapy session for this," Mark answered, gesturing to his bad knee. "Why, do you have something in mind for today?"

Belle shook her head. "No, not really," she replied. "Just planning on finishing up a couple of sketches."

Mark smirked. "Aren't we exciting people?"

"Yep," Belle said with a smile of her own. "Is there anything that you need that I could do, or-!"

"Belle, listen," Mark gently interrupted. "You're here on break. Have some fun. Okay?"

"I will, Dad," Belle told him. "Don't worry."

"Good." Mark kissed her head. "Your old man can take care of himself."

Belle smiled. "I know."

Mark laughed a little. "And don't you forget it," he said. "Now, to get started on your day, you can open the box sitting by the front door."

"What box by the front door?" Belle asked.

"Go check it out."

Confused, Belle got to her feet and crossed the room, surprised when she saw a small cardboard box sitting near the shoe mat. She bent down and picked it up, bringing it back to the couch. With a glance at Mark, who nodded, Belle opened the box and smiled when she saw the contents.

"I figured you could always use a couple more sketchbooks," Mark muttered as she pulled them out.

"Of course I can," Belle replied, giving her father a tight hug. "But what is this for? It's not Christmas yet..."

"I can't do something nice for my daughter?" Mark raised an eyebrow.

Belle smiled, but before she could say anything, the house phone began to ring. Mark sighed as he pushed himself off the couch and limped into the kitchen to answer it.

"Hello?"

Tuning out the rest of the conversation, Belle looked back at the two sketchbooks Mark had bought for her. Even if she didn't use them for school, she knew she would find some use for them. Sketching and painting were her passions.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps, and she watched as Mark came back into the living room. "Who was that, Dad?" Belle asked.

"That was Glenn," Mark answered, sitting back down next to his daughter. She recognized the name of her dad's former scripted, in-ring brother, Kane. "WWE's in town tonight, and he was wondering if I wanted to stop by to see the guys."

"You should," Belle told him with a smile. "It'd be good to see some old friends."

Mark nodded. "It would be nice," he agreed. "But I know that you're not interested in that stuff. I don't want you to stay here by yourself."

Belle leaned forward and placed her hand on his arm. "Hey. I'll be fine," she said. "As you keep telling me, go have fun."

"Are you sure?" Mark was still hesitant as he looked at her.

"Yes." Belle smiled again. "I'm sure I can find something to keep myself occupied. Go have fun and see your friends. It's obvious they want to see you."

After a moment, Mark smiled back and ruffled his daughter's hair. "All right, if you insist," he replied. "I'll go. It'll be good for me to get out for a while. Now, I'm going to be out late tonight..."

"I'll be fine, Dad," Belle assured him, squeezing his hand. "Go have fun, and I'll hold down the fort."

Mark laughed a little, hugging her quickly. "Thanks," he muttered. "I love you, Belle."

"Love you too, Dad."

* * *

While Mark left for his physical therapy session that afternoon, Belle made some popcorn and made herself comfortable in the living room, putting an ACDC CD in the stereo as she sat on the couch with a sketchbook and some pencils. She turned to the page with the rose sketch she had been working on, eating a couple pieces of popcorn before starting to carefully erase a tiny line on one of the petals.

Then, the doorbell rang, and Belle jumped, causing her to erase more than what she wanted to. Sighing, she set the sketch aside and walked to the door, glancing into the peephole to see who was there. She rolled her eyes when she saw that it was John Hennigan.

Sighing again, Belle unlocked the door and pulled it open. "What are you doing here?" she asked, hoping not to sound too rude.

John seemed unfazed as he flashed her a charming smile. "Just stopping by to say hello," he answered, leaning against the doorway.

Belle returned it, but it wasn't sincere. "Well, you did, so..."

But John only laughed. "So, WWE's in town tonight," he said.

"Yeah, my dad told me," Belle replied. "He's going to be there."

"Oh, is he?" Though John tried to act interested, it didn't work as well as he wanted. "What about you?"

Belle shook her head. "No, I'm staying home," she told him. "I don't like that kind of stuff."

Just like he hadn't been able to act truly interested, John also couldn't hide his disappointment. "You're not coming?" he repeated.

"Nope. Wrestling's not my thing."

John muttered something under his breath that she couldn't quite hear, but he recovered quickly. "Well, I might as well give you my proposal now then."

Belle raised her eyebrow. "Proposal?"

"Yes, Belle." John stepped closer to her, Belle backing up a little. "I would like you to be my girlfriend."

"Wait. Your _girlfriend_?"

John smiled. "I can just see it now," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her to his side. "The two of us living in a house down by the beach in Los Angeles..."

Belle tried to get out from under his arm. "Wow, you really know how to give a girl notice," she muttered sarcastically.

"So, what do you say, Belle?" John released her and once again stood in the doorway, winking at her. "Be my girlfriend?"

"You know..." Belle said, returning the wink as she leaned forward as if to kiss him, stopping when their faces were inches apart. "I really would... but I just don't deserve you." Then, she pushed him out onto the porch and shut the door, quickly locking it. She leaned back against it with her eyes closed for a minute, hearing John calling out her name.

When it was finally quiet on the other side, Belle went to the window and carefully pushed the blinds aside, watching as John angrily stormed over to a waiting car parked on the street in front of the house with Mike Mizanin behind the wheel. He yelled something at the other man before the car started up, and she watched them until they drove out of sight.

Shaking her head, Belle went back to the couch and sat down, eating a couple more pieces of popcorn before she took her pencil and began to fix the part of her sketch that had been ruined by the interruption. "I don't think he'll ever learn..."

Mark returned home about a half hour later, seeming to be almost amused by the story of their visitor as he prepared to leave for the arena.

"He doesn't give up easily, does he?" he asked.

"No," Belle answered with a sigh. "He'll have to realize sometime that I'm not interested."

"Well, that could take a while," Mark muttered as he turned to face his daughter. "I'm about to head out. There's plenty of food in the fridge for dinner, so help yourself to whatever you want. I'm not sure when I'll be home, but it won't be until later... Are you sure that you'll be okay here by yourself?"

"Dad, don't worry. I'll be just fine," Belle told him with a smile, walking with him to the front door. "What's important is that you have fun tonight. Okay?"

Mark returned the smile before pulling her into a hug. "Okay. Call me if you need anything, all right?"

"I will." Belle stood in the doorway while she watched Mark step out into the night. "Have fun, Dad. Love you!"

"Love you too, Belle." Mark slowly went down the porch steps and walked over to his car, climbing in behind the wheel. He put the key in the ignition, sighing when it wouldn't start right away. He tried a couple more times, smiling slightly when it finally started. He backed out of the driveway, waving to Belle still standing in the doorway before driving away from the house.

The closer Mark got to the arena, the better he felt about his decision to go to the show that night. He turned up the heat a little to fight off the winter's chill, nodding his head a bit to the song that was playing on the radio. It was his first time going out and doing something fun since he had gotten his injury, and he knew Belle was right. It was about time he did.

But after a little more driving, Mark began to shift in the seat when his knee began to feel stiff. He pressed down on the gas a little more, not only because of his knee, but because he had taken a wrong turn.

Then, the car began to stutter in protest, beginning to slow down as the engine began to give out. "No, don't do this to me now..." Mark muttered, pressing down on the gas a couple times to see if he could spur it back to life, but to no avail. "Shit..."

Seeing no other option, Mark turned the corner and pulled over to the side of the road just as the car died completely. He stayed inside for a few minutes, trying to decide what to do, but the restless feeling in his knee drove him to step outside and stretch it out. He locked up the car as he looked around the area, the only thing in sight being the hotel across the street that had been closed down for years and the cemetery his wife was buried in. It was only about a thirty minute walk back to the house, but with his knee acting up, he knew he wouldn't make it. He would go inside and warm up a bit and hopefully get his knee to stop cramping so he could attempt the trip home.

Sighing, Mark began to limp across the street, his leg dragging a bit behind him, until he reached the hotel. Mark pulled on the door handle, hearing it squeak a bit in protest as it was opened, and he stepped inside. He looked around at the dark lobby, a bit unnerved, before he slowly walked over to a chair against the wall and collapsed into it. He closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath as he stretched his leg out in front of him. He hoped he didn't have to stay long.

Figuring he should let Belle know what was going on, Mark sat up a bit more in the chair as he took his cell phone out of his pocket. He leaned forward, squinting a little in the light from the small screen as he began to dial his home number.

But before he could finish, Mark gasped and quickly looked up, trying to see in the darkness of the lobby when he heard quiet voices arguing. "Who's there?" he called out, starting to slowly push himself to his feet. He wasn't sure how well he could defend himself with his knee, but he would put up a fight for as long as he could.

The voices immediately stopped for a moment before one started accusing the other of getting them discovered. Another few moments slowly dragged by where there was more bickering Mark couldn't quite understand before that too stopped. Then, he heard footsteps approaching, and his eyes widened in recognition when two men entered the lobby, their faces seen a bit easier in the faint moonlight coming in through the windows.

"See? I knew we shouldn't have come down here," Randy Orton muttered, crossing his heavily tattooed arms as he glared at the tall man with long brown hair tied back behind his head.

"How was I supposed to know that it was going to be him?" Drew Galloway asked in his heavy Scottish accent, glaring at the bald man. "No one ever comes around here... What were the odds of it being someone who would know us?"

"Well, he was," Randy snapped. "And if _he _finds out we're letting someone in..."

Mark watched with mounting confusion as the two men, who had been former coworkers, continued to argue with each other. No one had seen them for almost an entire year...

Then, he felt his knee start to give out, and Mark sank back into the chair. The sudden action caused the bickering to stop, and Drew looked at him with concern before he began to cross the lobby to him.

"Drew, this isn't a good idea..." Randy warned quietly, looking around the dark room nervously.

But Drew only brushed his words aside as he approached Mark, crouching down next to the chair. "Are you hurt?" he asked.

Mark looked at him warily for a minute before wincing when his knee once again began to cramp. "Just my knee from when your friend snapped it," he answered quietly, watching as the Scotsman's gaze faltered. "My car's broken down across the street too, so I have no way home..."

"Well, you could rest up here for the night, and we can see what we can do for you in the morning," Drew said. "It's not like we don't have plenty of room..."

"_Drew_!" Randy suddenly hissed angrily. "If _he_ finds out that we're letting him stay-!"

"He doesn't have to find out," Drew interrupted, turning to look at him with narrowed eyes. "We'll stay away from the fourth floor. But Mark needs help, we can't ignore that."

Randy sighed and put his hand to his head. "Oh, I just know this is a bad idea..."

"So... you two have been staying here ever since you disappeared from the WWE?" Mark asked, trying to keep another argument from breaking out.

Drew sighed and turned back to look at the older man. "Yes," he answered quietly, almost as if he was ashamed of it. "Us and a couple of others."

"But why?" Mark couldn't imagine what it was like to stay in an abandoned place for so long. "What happened?"

"Well..."

Before Drew could start trying to think of an explanation, they all heard a couple more pairs of footsteps coming closer, and they watched as a man and woman entered the lobby.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Mark's eyes widened. "Jay? Taryn?"

Jason Reso's eyes narrowed with confusion when he saw Mark. "What are you doing here?"

"His car broke down outside," Drew explained as he turned to look at them. "Taryn, do you mind grabbing a blanket and an ice pack?"

Taryn Terrell smiled at her boyfriend. "Sure, hon," she replied, turning and leaving the lobby to get what he had requested.

Jay watched her leave before turning back to the trio. "So, is he going to spend the night here?" he wondered.

"I don't see what else we can do," Drew replied. "His knee is giving him problems, and there's nothing we can do about his car tonight. We can't just leave him out in the cold..."

"That's true," Jay muttered. Then, he smiled at the older man. "I'll prepare you a room."

"No... Not a good idea..." Randy whispered, mainly to himself. Both Jay and Drew gave him dark looks.

Mark returned the smile. "Thank you, that's very kind of you," he said. "But I should probably call my daughter to let her know what's going on..."

"Of course." Jay nodded.

Turning back to his cell phone, Mark finished putting in his number and called it, bringing it to his ear. It rang a couple times before Belle answered.

_"Hello?"_

"Belle, it's me," Mark said.

_"Dad?"_ His daughter's concern was clear in her tone. _"What's going on? Are you okay?"_

"I'm fine, Belle," Mark tried to assure her. "But my car broke down in front of that hotel that shut down a few years ago. Do you remember it?"

_"Yeah, I know exactly where it is," _Belle told him. _"What are you going to do? Do you want me to come walk over there?"_

"No, Belle, don't be silly," Mark replied. "I think I'll stay in one of the rooms for the night. I-!"

Suddenly, he stopped mid-sentence when Jay, Drew, and Randy all gasped and turned around, listening as a pair of heavier footsteps came toward them. Mark could hear Belle calling out his name on the other end, but he didn't say anything as he stared anxiously at the darkness. He wondered who else was there that the others seemed so nervous about...

"I knew this wasn't a good idea, I _knew _this wasn't a good idea..." Randy muttered.

Then, the new arrival slowly stepped into the lobby, and Mark's eyes widened when he saw the man's cruel, dark gaze. It was Adam Copeland, the man who had caused his knee injury.

"You..."

"Why did you let someone in?" the blond Canadian demanded angrily, looking from Drew to Randy to Jay.

Drew sighed as he got to his feet. "His car broke down in front of here," he explained. "And there's nowhere else he could go, and it's cold, and..." His sentence trailed off when Adam glared at him darkly, and he lowered his gaze and backed away.

"Adam, I just want to say this wasn't my idea," Randy said quickly. "I had nothing to do with this. I knew you wouldn't like it, and-!"

"Did I ask whose idea it was?" Adam snapped, cutting the other man off.

"Well, no..."

"Then spare me the details!" Adam told him. "What matters is you let someone in here when _no _one is welcome here!"

Jay sighed from behind him. "Adam, please," he muttered. "Try to understand. He needs a place to stay, and we couldn't just let him freeze out there..."

But even his sentence trailed off when Adam turned and gave him a dark glare. "Enough, Jay," he said before he turned to look at the older man still sitting in the chair. "Well, well. This is interesting. It's been a while, Mark."

Trying to act unfazed, Mark laughed a little. "It makes sense that you would hide out here like the coward you are, Adam," he replied.

Adam's face contorted with fury as he stormed over to the chair, glaring down at him. "You have _no_ idea, Mark," he hissed.

Mark stared at him for a long moment, but before he could say anything, Adam's nearly black eyes moved to the phone in his hand when they heard Belle shouting for her father. He laughed a little, ripping the phone from his grasp. "Say goodbye to your daughter," he muttered, raising his eyebrows quickly.

His eyes widening in fear, Mark leaned forward a bit. "Belle!" he shouted, but Adam crushed the phone before he could say anything more.

"Too bad," he said with a small laugh. Jay sighed heavily, lowering his gaze while Drew and Randy also looked away.

Mark stared at the other man in shock before he glared up at him. "You son of a-!"

"What?" Adam growled a bit as he reached down and pulled Mark to his feet with unnatural strength, twisting his arm and holding it behind his back. "They say you need a place to stay. Don't worry. I'll give you a place to stay. But believe me, Mark. You will regret ever coming here."

* * *

_"Say goodbye to your daughter."_

Belle's eyes widened with fear when she heard the voice she didn't recognize. "Dad!" she shouted, hoping that he was okay.

_"Belle!" _She heard her father call her name, and then the line went dead.

"Dad!" Belle screamed, feeling tears beginning to prick her eyes. "Dad!" But of course, she got no answer.

Sighing, Belle hung up the phone and hurried up to her room. She quickly changed out of her pajamas, glancing down at her open sketch of the rose sitting on her bed for a moment before running back downstairs. She put on her heavy coat and slipped her shoes on, knowing exactly where her father was.

But then, Belle paused for a moment. It was going to be easy getting to the hotel, but it was who was with Mark that concerned her. She knew she probably didn't stand a chance, but she would at least try to help her father. With that thought in mind, she stepped outside into the cold night, locking the door behind her before she headed toward the hotel.

* * *

Jay walked a little bit behind Adam as they walked down the stairs from the top floor of the hotel. "Don't you think that you're being a little harsh?" he finally ventured to ask. "I mean, he's an older man with an injury..."

Adam sighed as he paused at the bottom of the staircase. "He's seen too much," he muttered without turning to look at his best friend. "We're supposed to be dead to the world, Jay."

"I know." Jay stopped next to him, looking into his face. "But you can't give up hope yet, Adam. We still have time..."

"Oh, and how long are we supposed to deal with this curse, Jay? How long can we go on like _this_?" Adam snapped without meaning to as he turned to look at him. "Face it, Jay, our time is almost up. And besides, what's left for me? I don't deserve the world's forgiveness."

Jay could only watch with a sad gaze as Adam turned and began to walk down the dark hallway, sighing heavily and hanging his head when he was out of sight. "There's still hope, Adam," he muttered. "You just have to see it."

**Author's Note**: That's it for this one! Thanks for reading. Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	4. Chapter 3: Be Our Guest

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey! I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter! Thank you to **x0allisonqt0x**, **vampiregirl2009 Wolfgirl77769**, **StraightxEdgex1991**, and **ThePinkyPop **for your reviews. Much appreciated. Here's the next one!

_Chapter 3- Be Our Guest_

Belle walked down the dark sidewalk, pulling her coat tighter around her to fight off the cold. But as she looked around her, her quickening breath forming a small cloud, the action wasn't just to block winter's harshness, but also her rising fear of walking alone.

She crossed the street when she passed the church, her gaze passing over the dark cemetery warily before she hurried around the corner. Belle stopped, trying to catch her breath as she once again looked around the area. She knew she was in the right place since all that was there was the hotel.

Then, she gasped quietly when she saw a familiar white car parked across the street. Belle hurried over to it, placing her hand on the driver's side window before turning over her shoulder to look at the five-story building.

"Dad..."

* * *

"I told you it wasn't a good idea," Randy muttered, looking down at Drew who was sitting a couple of steps lower than him.

"Well, I was just trying to help," Drew replied, looking back up at him. The two friends were sitting on the staircase near the lobby that led up to the second floor. "At least I can say that."

Randy sighed, but before he could say anything, they both quickly turned to face the lobby when they heard the front door squeak open again. "Dad?"

With a quick glance at each other, Drew and Randy snuck closer to the lobby to get a look at the girl who had just entered. She was beautiful with blonde hair that fell a little past her shoulders and bright blue eyes, but her face was pale and her gaze scared and lost as she looked around the dark room.

"Dad?" she called again, cautiously walking around.

"She's Mark's daughter," Randy muttered.

Then, Drew gasped quietly when a sudden thought occurred to him. "Randy," he whispered. "Do you think she could be the one?"

"I don't-!" Randy began, but he stopped when he saw the excited look on the Scotsman's face. "Drew, I wouldn't..."

But his sentence trailed off when Drew left his side and began to go up the stairs, making sure he was heard. Randy put his hand to his head and sighed heavily. "I give up."

Belle gasped quietly when she heard the footsteps, quickly turning to look at the nearby staircase. "Hello?" she asked. When she got no reply except for the sound of the footsteps getting fainter, she quickly ran after them. "Wait!"

Randy stepped back further into the shadows as the girl passed him, not wanting to be seen. He watched as she began to hurry up the stairs after Drew, sighing heavily to himself. "I hope you know what you're doing..."

"Wait!" Belle shouted, pausing on the second floor as she listened for the footsteps again. She heard them start up on the staircase heading up to the next floor, and she began to once again follow them. This continued until she got to the fifth floor, where she lost the footsteps completely.

Belle slowly and uncertainly began to walk down the dark hallway, seeing that there was only one door on this floor. Drew stayed in the shadows by the top of the staircase, watching as she got closer to Adam's prisoner. "Hello?" she called out, looking at the door intently. "Anyone here?"

Then, she stopped when she heard a quiet groan come from the other side of the door, and Belle quickly opened it. Her eyes widened as she gasped at what she saw. "_Dad_?"

"Belle?" Mark was sitting on a chair in the middle of the otherwise empty room, his leg stretched out in front of him.

"Dad..." Belle ran over to him and knelt down next to the chair, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "Are you okay?"

"I will be," Mark muttered, wrapping an arm weakly around her. "How did you find me up here?"

Belle released him, watching with concern as her father grabbed at his knee and winced. "That doesn't matter," she told him. "We have to get you out of here."

"No, Belle." Mark leaned away from her, trying to push her away from him. "_You_ have to get out of here..."

"Dad, no. Not without you. Who did this?"

"I said go, Belle."

"No, I won't leave you!"

Before Mark could reply, both he and Belle quickly turned around when they heard footsteps from the hallway, and they saw that another man had appeared in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" Adam demanded, walking into the room. "Who are you?"

"Leave her alone, Adam," Mark said, placing his hand on Belle's shoulder protectively.

Belle looked up at the attractive blond-haired man, her gaze faltering when she saw his almost black eyes. Their coldness sent a chill down her spine... But she knew what she had come for, and she took a deep breath as she moved out from under Mark's hand to get to her feet to face him.

"Adam," she said, watching as his eyes narrowed slightly when she addressed him. "Let my dad go. Please..."

But her sentence trailed off when Adam laughed a little. "Now, why would I want to do a thing like that?" he asked. "It's his fault for coming here."

"He's hurt," Belle answered, hoping that the man would listen to reason. "Please, he needs a doctor-!"

"And what should that mean to me?" Adam interrupted, leaning forward so that his face was only inches in front of hers. "I know his knee is hurt, girl. I'm the one who _gave_ him that injury!"

Belle gasped as she looked at the man in horror, unable to back away. She was staring into the face of the man that had injured her father almost a year before...

But then, her eyes narrowed angrily, and she quickly raised her hand and slapped him across the face. Caught off guard, Adam took a couple of steps back, hand at his cheek as he looked at Belle in shock. Knowing what the younger man was like when angered, Mark began to reach toward his daughter.

"Belle..."

But before he could get a hold of her hand, Adam's shock melted away as he snarled quietly, reaching forward and grabbing Belle's wrist as he pulled her close to him, their faces inches apart. "What makes you think that I will give your dad freedom now?" he muttered, glaring at her darkly.

Taking a deep breath to try to calm down, Belle met his eyes with determination. There was only one reason she could think of. "What if you took me instead?" she wondered.

"You can't do this, Belle," Mark said from behind her.

Adam's gaze softened as he looked at her with surprise, slowly releasing his grip on her wrist. "You would... really stay here in his place?"

"Belle, no," Mark continued to plead with her.

"If you let my dad go... yes," Belle told him, ignoring Mark's words as her eyes stayed glued to Adam's. She rubbed her wrist a bit, the man's strength not going unnoticed.

Adam sighed as he looked at her for a long moment, running his hand through his blond hair. He hadn't expected this... "If you stay here," he said quietly, "you'll never be able to leave."

"Please don't do this, Belle, it's not worth it," Mark muttered.

Belle lowered her gaze, thinking about what she would be giving up if she agreed. She would lose everything... "Okay," she finally replied, feeling a thin line of tears form in her eyes as she sealed her fate. "I'll stay."

"Fine." Adam walked past her and grabbed Mark's arm, yanking him to his feet.

"You can't do this," Mark told Belle, grabbing her hand. "I've done everything I could in my life while you have your whole future ahead of you. Please, don't throw your life away for me."

Belle gave him a small smile, squeezing his hand. "Dad..."

But before she could say anything more, Adam ripped Mark away from her. "Come on, time to go," he said.

"Wait!" Belle reached out toward her father as he was pulled away, but she was only able to watch as Adam brought him out of the room and out of sight. Feeling a few tears fall from her eyes, she sank down into the chair, burying her face in her hands as she softly cried.

"Please, Adam, you can't do this to my daughter," Mark muttered as he limped along after the other man, also having to be supported by him. "She has nothing to do with what happened."

"She's under my watch now, Mark," Adam simply replied as he brought him all the way down to the lobby. "Randy!"

"Adam... please... You've already taken my career. Don't take my daughter too..."

But Adam ignored him as they waited in the dark room, looking up when another man entered.

"Yeah, Adam?" Randy asked.

"Make sure he gets back to the city," Adam answered quietly, opening the door and shoving Mark out into the light snowfall that had begun. He watched impassively as he fell to the cold ground, wincing as he reached toward his knee.

"You won't get away with this, Adam," Mark said in a voice hardly above a whisper, though there was distinct anger in his tone as he glared up at him.

Adam smirked. "And who will believe you?" he wondered. "Goodbye, Mark."

Mark watched as Adam turned away from the door and disappeared from sight, sighing heavily as the door closed and Randy joined him outside, holding his hand out to him to help him up. He reluctantly took it, not able to completely hold back a groan of pain when Randy pulled him to his feet.

But it was also a sound of frustration. He knew Adam was right. There was nothing he could do for Belle now.

* * *

Adam slowly walked up the dark stairs, thinking about what had just happened. He didn't understand how one girl's love could be so strong that she would give up everything for her father. It was something he couldn't wrap his mind around.

When he reached the fifth floor, he saw that Drew and Jay were standing at the top of the stairs, talking to each other in hushed tones. But when they saw him watching them, they immediately stopped.

"So... what are we going to do with the girl?" Drew asked unsurely. "We can't keep her up here."

Adam shook his head. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I didn't expect this to happen."

"I could prepare her a room," Jay offered. "Make her more comfortable since she'll be staying with us." When Adam slowly nodded, he sighed. "Please be nice to the poor girl. She's just lost everything."

After a moment, Adam looked over at his best friend. "Why don't you get started on that room?" he muttered before walking toward the door where Belle still was.

Jay shook his head. "It'll be on the third floor," he told him. When the other man didn't respond, he sighed and started down the staircase.

When Adam reached the room, his gaze saddened when he saw Belle sitting in the chair, her quiet sobs shaking her shoulders. Hearing him come in, she quickly looked up, trying to wipe her tears away.

"You could have let me say goodbye," she murmured, her voice still shaking a little. "He was the only one I had, and I'm never going to see him again..."

Adam lowered his gaze, not knowing what to tell her. Belle looked at him curiously. "What are you going to do with me?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Adam wondered, looking back at her.

"You said I couldn't leave," Belle continued. "There must be a reason for keeping me here. For taking my dad in the first place..."

"Your father saw too much," Adam said quickly.

"What did he see?" Belle found herself wondering about her captor as she straightened up in the chair a bit. "You? What happened that you have to stay in this place? Why couldn't he see you?"

"Have you heard of minding your own business?" Adam didn't know where all of these questions were coming from, but he didn't have to explain himself to this girl.

"Well, since I'm staying here now, wouldn't it technically be my business?"

Adam stared at Belle, finding that he couldn't argue with her. But, he just growled quietly and looked away, starting to walk toward the door. "Come on. I'll bring you to your room."

Belle looked at him with surprise. "You mean-!"

"Do you want a room or not?" Adam asked with frustration, turning to look back at her.

"Well, yeah, but..."

"Then follow me if you don't want to stay in here. It's not up to me."

Belle watched as he walked out of the room, sighing as she wondered what being stuck in the hotel would be like. It didn't seem like it would be pleasant with Adam... But, not wanting to be left alone, she got to her feet and hurried out of the room after him, hoping he didn't get too far ahead.

Adam was a lot closer than she realized, and Belle gasped when she ran into him when she left the room. Her eyes widened when she began to fall back, but she was surprised when a strong hand grabbed her arm to keep her from falling. Belle looked up into Adam's expressionless face with surprise, watching as he released her arm once he was sure she was steady.

"Keep up," he told her, turning away from her as he began to walk down the dark hallway.

Belle glared at his retreating back, but she went after him anyway, not wanting to be left behind. When they reached the staircase, she saw that a tall man with long, light brown hair tied back behind his head was waiting at the top.

"Hi, I'm Drew," he said in a heavy Scottish accent, holding his hand out to Belle.

Adam continued walking down while Belle stopped, glad that someone was being nicer to her as she shook his hand. "Belle," she replied.

"Nice to meet you, Belle."

"Are you guys coming?" Adam suddenly asked from the bottom of the staircase.

Drew sighed, gesturing to the stairs. "Ladies first."

Belle gave him a smile, the look vanishing as she looked at Adam and went down the stairs with Drew behind her. Adam turned and walked down the hallway to the first door on the left, which was open, and entered. Belle slowly followed him, seeing that there was a man with short blond hair that was finishing putting sheets on the bed and a blonde-haired woman putting a decorative vase on the small table next to it. They both looked up when the three entered.

"Oh, hi, dear," the woman said cheerfully, walking over and shaking Belle's hand. "I'm Taryn. It'll be good to have another woman here."

Smiling, Belle laughed a little. "I'm Belle," she replied. "I'm glad there's another woman here too." Taryn returned the smile before Drew wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her.

"And I'm Jay," the man muttered once he finished fixing up the bed, shaking her hand as well. "I hope that we can make you feel comfortable here."

"Thank you." Belle gave him a smile. "I appreciate it."

Adam cleared his throat, and they turned to look at him. "All right. You can go anywhere in the hotel you want except for the fourth floor," he told Belle.

"Why not the..." Belle began to ask, but her sentence trailed off when Adam narrowed his eyes at her.

"If you need anything, someone will be able to help you," Adam finished.

"Our rooms are right across the hall from you, so don't hesitate to come over," Drew added.

Belle nodded. "Okay."

Adam looked at her for a long moment before he sighed. "Come on," he muttered. "Let's see if Randy's back yet."

Jay nodded, leaving the room to head downstairs to the lobby. Drew began to follow, but he stopped when Taryn didn't. "I'll be right there," she said quietly, smiling when Drew turned and left. She then looked at Adam, who was watching her carefully, before he growled quietly and followed the others out.

Taryn sighed as she closed the door so that it was open a crack and turned to Belle. "I just want you to know that you can come to me for anything if you need to, sweetie," she told her. "I know what it's like living with these four. It's not always the easiest."

Belle gave her a smile. "Thanks," she replied. "That means a lot. But... why are you guys staying here in the first place? It can't be by choice..."

"Well... that's something we can talk about later," Taryn muttered, hiding her hesitance under a smile. "But uh... You know, Adam's really not that bad of a guy if you give him a chance..."

But Belle shook her head, another thin line of tears forming in her eyes. "I don't want to," she said, Taryn watching her sadly as she walked to the bed and sat down. "I'd be happy if I didn't have to see him."

Adam, who was still in the hallway near the room, paused when he heard Belle's words, his gaze faltering. He sighed as he looked down, realizing that she wouldn't see him as anything more than a monster. He slowly walked down to the end of the hall, and instead of going down to the lobby, he started up the stairs to the fourth floor without looking back.

* * *

John Hennigan took another sip of his beer, he and Mike Mizanin sitting at the counter in the bar they and some of the other members of the WWE roster had gone to after the show. "I can't believe the nerve of her," he muttered angrily, setting the glass down with a little more force than he meant to. "Saying no... She doesn't know what she's doing..."

"Hey, Man, come on," Mike told him with a smile. "This isn't like you. Don't be angry over Belle. There are so many other girls that would love to be with you. Belle's always been... different. She's right. She doesn't deserve you."

When John still didn't say anything, Mike sighed. "Look, you have a lot going for you," he continued. "Girls want you, you're respected by the company, people admire you... You're part of the greatest tag team..."

A small smile appeared on John's face, but before he could say anything, they both turned to look over their shoulders as the door to the bar opened. "Mark?" he asked as the older man limped inside. He remembered Belle saying that he would be going to the WWE show, but he had never come.

Spotting them, Mark slowly made his way over. "He has Belle," he muttered, out of breath from the walk from the hotel.

"Who has Belle?" John wondered, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Mark took a deep breath, already knowing this wouldn't go well. "Adam... Copeland," he told him.

John and Mike exchanged amused looks, trying to hold back their laughter while the former turned back to Mark. "Adam Copeland," he repeated. "You expect me to believe that _he _has Belle? Come on, Mark, you can do better. Adam and his gang disappeared almost a year ago. No one's seen him since. Hell, no one even knows where they went..."

"They're here in Minneapolis." Mark knew that the story wasn't exactly believable, but he had to try to do something to save Belle. "They're staying in that shut-down hotel. Belle's there. We have to get her back."

Mike laughed a little as he took a sip of his own beer. "Okay, Mark. Sure," he said before looking at John. "Sounds like a story to keep you away from her, doesn't it?" The question made both men start laughing harder.

Mark's eyes narrowed angrily at them, knowing that they weren't worth his time. He would have to figure out something on his own. Leaving them laughing, Mark turned and slowly walked out of the bar into the cold night.

Once he was gone, John and Mike's laughter slowly trailed off. "Well, I'll give him one thing," the latter muttered. "He's good for a laugh."

"True that," John agreed, sighing as he glanced at the previous day's newspaper. But then, he paused when his gaze landed on the main headline.

"What?" Mike asked, recognizing the look in the other man's eyes. "What plan are you coming up with now?"

John picked up the newspaper and placed it in front of Mike. "I'm not sure if I believe Adam's really here," he muttered. "But say he is and that he really does have Belle..."

"Okay..." Mike quickly scanned the front page story. "But I don't see what he would have to do with this-!" Then, a smirk slowly spread across his face. "Oh, I get it..."

John returned the smirk. "Exactly," he said. "We'll have to be on the look-out to see if Adam really is here. But either way, Belle won't be able to say no."

* * *

Belle quietly opened the door of the hotel room she was staying in, shutting it behind her before she headed down the two flights of stairs to the lobby. She hadn't eaten in a while, and she wanted to grab a small snack from catering before trying to sleep.

When she got there and opened the door a crack, she saw that four people were standing in the room with plates, looking about ready to eat themselves. Three she recognized to be Jay, Drew, and Taryn, but the fourth, a man with a cleanly shaven head and sleeves of tattoos, she didn't know.

"So, now we're stuck with Mark's daughter," the man she didn't recognize muttered. "Great..."

"Be nice, Randy," Taryn said, leaning against Drew. "She's a nice girl."

Drew nodded in agreement. "And besides, hasn't it occurred to you that she could be the one to-!"

"I'm sure it's a thought that's crossed all of our minds," Jay suddenly cut in, his eyes moving to the door of the room. "But for now, we have company."

Belle sighed, quietly cursing when she realized that she had been caught as the other three turned to face the door too, and she slowly entered. "I'm sorry," she muttered shyly. "I didn't mean to listen, but I didn't want to walk in on your conversation."

"That's okay," Jay told her with a small smile. "What can we do for you?"

"Well, I'm a little hungry..."

"Oh, we're about to grab a little something ourselves," Taryn replied. "Come on and join us. I made some macaroni and cheese for dinner earlier. Would you like some?"

"Sure. Thank you."

"Don't thank us," Drew said with a small smile as he pulled another chair over to the table. "You're a guest here. Come on."

Belle smiled at them, sitting down next to Jay and across from the man she hadn't met while Taryn went into the kitchen to get the macaroni and cheese. She tried to make herself comfortable, but it was difficult since she kept getting suspicious looks from Randy.

She was not the only one to notice. "Randy," Jay muttered, a warning glint in his eye. The other man didn't say anything, but he stopped looking at Belle.

"Okay, here we go," Taryn addressed them as she came back with the food, starting to put a couple spoonfuls Belle's plate. "I'm a bit worried about Adam. He hasn't eaten tonight..."

"I know," Jay agreed quietly as she went to his plate next. "He's been spending a lot of time in his room... Just leave some and I'll bring it up later."

Belle paused after she took a bite of the macaroni and cheese. She wondered if Adam's room was up on the fourth floor and that's why it was off limits, and if it wasn't, what was up there.

Drew noticed her thoughtful look. "What's up, Belle?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing," Belle answered with a smile, eating more of her plate. But now, she was more curious than ever.

Once she was through eating, Belle politely excused herself saying that she was going to head back up to her room since she was exhausted after the long day.

"All right," Jay said as he took her empty plate to wash. "Is there anything else you need?"

"No, I think I'm okay for now," Belle told him. "Thank you, though."

"Sure thing. Just let us know if you need anything else."

"I will. Good night." Belle then left the room, hurrying up the stairs to the third floor. She went to her room and started to open the door, but she paused and looked over her shoulder at the dark staircase that led up to the fourth floor. No one was around...

Her curiosity getting the best of her, Belle closed her door again and snuck over, looking around one more time to make sure that she was alone before she slowly made her way up the dark steps.

**Author's Note**: Sneaking around usually isn't a good thing, lol. But, thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	5. Chapter 4: If I Can't Love Her

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey! Much thanks to **stephiexo95**, **x0allisonqt0x**, **StraightxEdgex1991**, and **vampiregirl2009 Wolfgirl77769 **for your reviews! This chapter actually has the first section I wrote with Edge as the Beast to test out this story, I guess you could say. So, hope you enjoy it!

_Chapter 4- If I Can't Love Her_

Belle quietly made her way up the stairs to the fourth floor, seeing that it didn't appear much different from the others she had been on, but it felt different. Something was definitely more haunting about that floor. She slowly walked down the hallway, curiously trying a couple of the door handles and finding that they were all locked. She was about to turn around and head back down to her room when she noticed the door at the end of the hall was open a crack, and she slowly pushed it all the way open and walked in.

The room didn't look much different from the other ones in the hotel, containing a single bed and a couple small, wooden tables. Belle wandered further inside, stopping next to the bed and seeing a few photos were scattered on the first table. She picked one up, squinting in the moonlight coming in the window to see what it was.

She saw that it was of Adam and Jay, both with longer hair and holding championships as they stood in the wrestling ring, but her captor looked completely different. There was a broad smile lighting up his handsome features, and his eyes were a beautiful shade of blue instead of the black voids that were there now. She wondered what had happened to make him change so drastically...

Then, something caught her attention on the other table next to the window. A vase sat on top of it, holding a single rose that was beginning to wilt. Belle carefully set the picture back down before she walked around the bed and stood next to the table, looking at the rose carefully. Her eyes narrowed slightly when one of the petals fell off and slowly drifted down to the wooden surface, and she carefully reached forward and picked it up.

Suddenly, Belle gasped and quickly looked up when she heard footsteps. The rose petal dropped from her hand back to the table when she saw that Adam was standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded angrily. "I thought I told you that you couldn't come here!"

"I-I'm sorry," Belle stuttered. "I-I didn't..."

Her sentence slowly trailed off as Adam walked over to the table, inspecting the rose carefully before looking at her. "Get out," he muttered.

"Look, I didn't mean-!"

"I _said_ get out!" Adam yelled, his dark eyes flaring.

Belle met his furious gaze for a moment, a thin line of tears forming in her eyes as she turned and ran out of the room. Adam watched her leave, his anger melting away as he sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He leaned on the windowsill, looking out into the dark night.

"What have I done?" he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "I guess it doesn't really matter anymore..."

Adam glanced down at the rose next to him, seeing that only a few petals remained as he picked up the petal she had dropped. It was strange how he now longed for his life to be measured by the hourglass. He would have much preferred the grains of sand than being at the mercy of the rose to end his life as he knew it.

He wasn't sure why the world couldn't just be done with him. There was no point if he couldn't love her.

"It's hopeless."

* * *

Belle ran down the stairs to her room on the third floor, grabbing her jacket and slipping it on before running back out. When she got down to the lobby, she almost ran into Jay, who was carrying a plate of macaroni and cheese in his hands.

"Where are you going, Belle?" he asked, alarmed to see the tears falling from her eyes.

"I refuse to stay here," Belle answered in a mutter, watching as Drew and Taryn came hurrying out of the kitchen. "I can't do it."

"Wait, Belle!" Drew called after her, but he sighed and exchanged a defeated look with Jay and Taryn when the girl pushed open the door and hurried out into the night. Randy, who had been watching what was happening from the doorway, sighed and shook his head as he went back into the kitchen.

Belle walked away from the hotel, glancing over her shoulder nervously to make sure that she wasn't being followed. She shivered and pulled her coat closer around her as she wiped her tears away, not able to get Adam's dark eyes out of her mind, his cold demeanor enough to send a shiver down her spine. She wanted nothing more to do with him.

But as Belle crossed the street by the cemetery, she gasped and stopped walking when she saw three dark-haired men slowly walking toward her from the darkness of the alley behind the hotel, their eyes gazing at her almost hungrily. She took a step back, feeling the cool gate against her back as she turned to start walking in another direction, but she was prevented from doing so when a fourth man blocked her way.

"Why, hello there, beauty," he said, a sick smile twisting his face as the other three men crossed the street and joined them.

"Please, I don't want any trouble," Belle muttered, looking to try to find a way to get around them. But with the other three circling like wolves, that wasn't going to be possible.

"No trouble at all," the man who had spoken first told her, running his hand through her blonde hair. "Such a pretty little thing..."

"Don't touch me!" Belle snapped, pushing his arm away without thinking. "I'm just going to go on my way-!"

Her statement ended abruptly when the dark-haired leader grabbed her arm. Her eyes widened in fear when he moved forward so his face was only inches in front of hers. "You're not going anywhere, beauty," he growled, pushing her roughly down to the sidewalk. He smiled when she screamed when she hit the ground. "Enjoy, boys."

Belle looked up at the three men with fear as they began to close in around her. She tried to scoot away, but soon found that she had nowhere to go, and instead curled in on herself in a desperate attempt to protect herself. She closed her eyes tightly and held her breath, knowing that it wouldn't do much good as the men crept closer and closer...

Suddenly, the man that she knew was the leader of the group cried out with surprise. Belle opened her eyes in time to see him get forcefully shoved into the gate that surrounded the cemetery, and she gasped when she saw Adam towering over her. He knelt down next to her, looking at her with concern as he brushed some hair out of her pale face before he quickly got to his feet and stood in front of her protectively, snarling angrily when the other three men rushed at him.

Belle quickly scooted back against the gate, cowering as she watched the fight taking place in front of her. Adam was at a definite disadvantage since he was going against four people as they forced him against the gate not too far from her. But he seemed to be holding his own as he grabbed a man's arm and twisted it forcefully, almost to the point of breaking it. She saw his dark eyes flare, an expression of pure rage appearing on his face, and she couldn't help but think how beast-like he could be...

Then, she heard a snap as the man Adam had grabbed screamed loudly in pain, and Belle covered her face as she turned away from the scene in front of her. A wave of nausea coursed through her when she knew his arm had been broken, continuing to listen to the fight as she focused on taking deep, even breaths. She could only hope that it would be over soon since she knew Adam was hurting too...

"Belle."

At the sudden quiet sound of her name, Belle cautiously opened her eyes and raised her gaze, seeing that Adam was crouching next to her. The other four men were gone.

"Are you okay?" he asked, slowly reaching his hand out toward her. But he stopped when Belle unconsciously flinched, sighing as he lowered it. "Belle... you don't have to be afraid of me."

Belle looked back at the man, sighing quietly. He had saved her life, and she repaid him by flinching away in fear as though he was some sort of monster. The least she could do was apologize.

But before she could say anything, her eyes narrowed when he suddenly closed his eyes as if in pain, wavering on his feet a little. "Adam?" she asked, beginning to reach out to him but hesitating.

"I'm fine," Adam muttered, moving his hand to his shoulder. But he couldn't completely hide the crimson soaking his shirt, and Belle's eyes widened in horror.

"You're bleeding..."

"I said I'm _fine_." Adam pushed himself to his feet and began to limp away from her, obviously trying not to show the pain he was feeling. Belle slowly got to her feet, starting to walk across the street after him as they headed back toward the hotel without saying a word.

But when they got in front of the building, Belle gasped when Adam wavered again before crumpling to the ground. She froze, looking up and down the dark street. If she really wanted to, now would be the time to escape...

But, she found that she couldn't leave, and instead, Belle rushed to Adam's side, gently turning his face toward her and seeing that his eyes were closed. "Hold on," she muttered before looking up at the hotel. "Help! Please, help!" She hoped that someone inside would hear her.

The front door opened, and Jay and Drew came running outside, kneeling down next to them. "Here," Jay muttered, looking at the unresponsive man with concern as he took his uninjured arm and put it around his neck, wrapping his arm around his back as he carefully lifted him to his feet with Drew to support him. Taryn held the door open as they led Adam inside, her sad gaze moving to Belle.

"Are you coming, sweetie?"

Belle looked up at the woman, shivering on the cold ground for a minute before she slowly got to her feet and followed them inside.

* * *

"If she wouldn't have gone to the fourth floor like Adam said, this wouldn't have happened," Randy muttered, watching as Jay and Drew brought Adam up to the second floor with Belle close behind.

Taryn rolled her eyes. "Give the poor girl a break, Randy, she's not the only one at fault," she replied. "If Adam could control his temper better, this wouldn't have happened either."

Randy muttered something under his breath, but offered no further argument.

Belle followed Jay and Drew up to the second floor, stopping and watching as they brought him into the closest empty room. She stayed there for a moment, considering just going back to her own room, but felt that she should stay with them, so she slowly walked in after them. She saw that they had laid Adam on the bed and were removing his shirt to look at his shoulder better. Belle approached the bed, seeing that there was a good-sized cut over his collar bone. She didn't know that he had been hurt that badly...

"We'll have to clean it," Jay muttered, handing the Scotsman Adam's shirt. "Could you go down to the kitchen and grab a couple cloths and a bowl of hot water?"

"Sure."

Jay watched as Drew quickly left the room before turning to Belle, seeing that she was looking down at Adam with an unreadable expression on her face. He sighed, looking at his best friend as well. "He ran out after you as soon as he saw you were in trouble," he told her quietly.

Belle didn't reply as she felt a couple tears prick her eyes, her gaze not leaving Adam's face. He had come for her when the other men attacked her...

Drew came back a couple minutes later. "Here's what you asked for," he said, setting the bowl of steaming water on the wooden table next to the bed and handing two cloths to Jay. "Taryn said she could bring up more if we need it."

"This should be fine," Jay replied, putting one of the cloths over his shoulder. "But we'll have to wrap it up, so she may have to bring that. Just have to clean it first."

"I'll do it," Bell suddenly spoke up quietly, blinking her tears away. After what Adam had done for her, she felt obligated to help him in some way.

Jay looked at her before handing her the cloth. "Do you need any help?" he asked, placing the other one over her shoulder.

Belle shook her head. "No, I think I can handle it," she answered, giving him a small smile. "I took a general education health class."

Drew smiled too. "All right, then," he muttered. "Jay and I will get what we'll need to wrap the injury."

Jay glanced at Drew curiously, but when he saw the smile lingering on his face, he realized what he was doing. "Yeah, we'll be back soon, Belle," he added.

"Okay. That's fine."

Drew led the way out of the room with Jay following close behind. But the latter paused in the doorway, looking back at Belle with a smile on his own face before leaving the room too.

Belle sighed as she sat down on the bed next to Adam, dipping the first cloth in the hot water. She wrung it out so it wasn't dripping, hesitating before she placed it over the injury since she knew it was going to hurt him. But she knew it had to be done, so she carefully placed the cloth on Adam's collar bone.

Just as she had expected, she watched as Adam winced, his expression turning to one of pain. "Damn it... That hurts..." he said in a voice hardly above a whisper.

"It won't hurt for long," Belle tried to assure him. For some reason, she found that she wasn't as afraid of him. "Try to hold still. That'll be easier."

Adam's eyes slowly fluttered open, confusion crossing his face when he saw her. "Belle?"

Belle smiled down at him. "You're going to be okay," she replied, pressing down a little bit on the cloth.

He winced again as the cut burned, but Adam brushed the feeling aside as he watched her. "I know. I heal quickly," he muttered. "It's part of the..." But his sentence slowly trailed off, and he cleared his throat. "I have to say I'm surprised you're still here."

Though Belle wondered what he had been going to say, she didn't press the matter since he clearly didn't want to talk about it. "Well... Those guys could come back." That was the only thing she could think of to say since like him, she was surprised she was still there, taking care of the man that had caused her to leave in the first place.

"Ah, I see," Adam replied, a teasing smirk on his face. "I thought you were maybe starting to like us."

Belle didn't say anything as she removed the cloth and rinsed it out, refolding it before she put it back on the injury. "Thank you," she finally muttered.

"For?" Adam looked up at her curiously.

"Coming for me," Belle told him, pressing down slightly on the cloth again. "Saving my life."

Adam smiled slightly, watching as Belle looked at him and returned it. "You're welcome."

* * *

John pulled to a stop in front of Belle's house, seeing that all the windows were dark. Mike looked at the house, laughing a little. "It's late," he said, turning to look at the other man. "I'm sure they're both asleep..."

"Or... she really isn't here. Mark seemed pretty insistent," John muttered.

Mike smirked. "Please," he replied. "You really think that Belle's being kept in that old hotel by Adam?"

John sighed. "I don't know, Mike," he said. "I don't know."

Before the other man could say anything, they saw movement as someone crossed the street, and they watched as Mark began to limp up the pathway that led to the house. Fortunately for them, he completely ignored their car.

"Mark's alone..." Mike muttered.

"That means Belle really isn't there." John turned and reached into the backseat, bringing up the newspaper he had taken from the bar. He quickly scanned over the head story again, smirking as he looked over at his friend. "There have been no witnesses to describe the one behind these brutal murders."

Mike shrugged. "And your point?"

John tossed the paper into the backseat. "Let's say that Adam has Belle," he explained. "How suspicious is it to hide in a hotel that's been shut down for years?"

Seeing what the other man was getting at, Mike smirked as well. "That's terrible," he said. "But I love it."

* * *

Since she was exhausted after the long night, Jay sent Belle up to bed when he and Drew returned to the room, and they started to wrap up the injury themselves.

"Is it feeling better?" Jay wondered, finishing up the wrapping.

"Yeah," Adam replied, moving his shoulder a bit to test it out. "My guess is that it'll be pretty much gone by morning. I guess that's the one good thing about this curse..."

Drew smiled. "Do you think Belle's the one that could end it, Adam?" he asked excitedly. "You two seem to be getting along a bit better now..."

Adam sighed as he got to his feet, carefully putting on the fresh shirt Jay had brought for him. "I'm not sure if she's the one, Drew," he answered, not sharing his enthusiasm but not able to hide a hint of a smile. "But I will say that I do have a little more hope than I had before."

Jay smiled. "See, I told you there was still hope," he said. "But you should get some sleep now too, Adam. You look like you need it."

"Yeah, I'm planning on it," Adam muttered, giving them one more smile. "Thanks for everything, guys. Good night."

"Good night." Jay and Drew exchanged thrilled looks as Adam left the room. "That's the best mood I've seen him in for quite some time."

"I know. It's good to see," the Scotsman agreed.

Jay nodded, the smile lingering on his face. "I'm glad," he muttered. "Belle just may be the one."

Adam yawned as he made his way up the stairs to the third floor, looking forward to getting a good night's sleep. That night had been long for all of them, and he hoped that since now he and Belle were on slightly better terms, things would be better in the morning.

"No... Stay away..."

Hearing the sudden quiet but fearful voice, Adam paused at the foot of the stairs that would bring him up to the fourth floor as he looked at the door that was open a crack. Knowing that it was Belle, he slowly walked over and quietly opened the door the rest of the way.

In the moonlight coming in through the window, he could see the clear distress on Belle's face, her eyes closed tightly. She was having a nightmare.

"Please... don't..."

Adam looked at her sadly, about to turn and keep going upstairs. But something wouldn't let him leave, and instead, he entered the room and sat down next to her on the bed. "Belle, it's okay," he murmured, hoping not to wake her as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "You're safe now."

At first, Belle flinched and whimpered in her sleep when she felt his hand, but her body noticeably relaxed when she heard his voice. "Rest easy, Belle." Adam rubbed her shoulder with his thumb for a minute before running his hand through her hair. "Nothing's going to hurt you here."

Once her quiet whimpers stopped and her face was once again calm, Adam stood up and put the blanket back over her. He watched her for a moment, and when he was sure that she was sleeping peacefully, he smiled slightly and left the room, closing the door behind him.

**Author's Note**: Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	6. Chapter 5: Something There

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey! Glad you guys liked the last chapter, and hello to my new reviewers! Thank you to **vampiregirl1991 Wolfgirl77769**, **x0allisonqt0x**, **SBMFanatic**, **ThePinkyPop**, and **stephiexo95** for your reviews! Enjoy the next chapter!

_Chapter 5- Something There_

Mark restlessly paced the living room, cursing heatedly when his knee started to stiffen up and caused him to sit down on the couch. He sighed heavily, looking up at the picture of him, his wife, and daughter that was hanging above the television sadly. He could just imagine how scared Belle was in that hotel with Adam, not wanting to think about what cruel things he had planned for her. The man was a beast.

"I'm going to come for you, Belle," Mark muttered, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I don't care if no one will help me, I'll do it myself. But I will get you out of there."

* * *

Belle slowly opened her eyes when the morning sunlight hit them, and she sat up and stretched. She had slept relatively easily for her first night at the hotel except for the nightmare she had about being followed by the gang of men that had attacked her.

But that hadn't lasted long. Belle faintly remembered someone coming into her room, their presence comforting, but she didn't know who it had been since she hadn't really been awake. All she remembered was their voice had driven away her nightmare.

Once she was up and freshened up as best she could, Belle was about to leave the room when she suddenly froze. It was December 23. Her mother's birthday. Trying to suppress the sadness growing inside of her, she slipped her coat on before she opened the door and went down to the lobby.

There she found Jay, who had just brought in that day's newspaper and was looking at the front page with narrowed eyes. "Another murder..."

"Hey, Jay?" Belle said, approaching the chair he was sitting in.

Jay looked up, smiling when he saw her. "What can I do for you, Belle?"

Belle smiled, wishing that they didn't feel like they had to serve her. "I was just wondering if I could go out for a few minutes," she told him. When she saw the hesitance cross his face, she sighed. "I'm not going to try running away again, I swear."

"May I ask what for?" Jay set the paper down on the chair as he got to his feet.

"Today's my mom's birthday," Belle answered. "And I visit her every year..."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "Well, Belle, I don't know if..."

"No, that's not what I meant, Jay," Belle explained quietly. "She passed away when I was a little girl. She's buried in the cemetery around the corner."

Sighing, Jay placed his hand on Belle's shoulder. He couldn't deny her that. "Sure, Belle," he muttered. "Just try to be back soon."

Belle smiled, placing her hand on his arm. "Thank you so much, Jay," she said.

"You're welcome." Jay watched as Belle turned and left the hotel, going to the door and watching as she crossed the street to get to the cemetery. Then, he turned and saw that Drew, Randy, and Adam were coming down the steps.

"I've never felt this way about anyone before," Adam was saying.

"You should do something for her," Drew suggested. "Flowers... something."

Adam noticeably hesitated. "I don't know," he muttered. "I want to do something... I don't know, something more special. Flowers are too ordinary."

"How do we even know that this girl will be the one to break the curse?" Randy asked, frustration in his tone.

Drew rolled his eyes. "Randy, must you always be a downer?" he wondered before turning his attention back to Adam. "Do you know any of her interests?"

Adam slowly shook his head. "No..."

"Well, that's something we can find out when she comes back," Jay said as the trio approached him.

"Back?" Adam asked, surprised. "Where did she go?"

"Of course she leaves..." Randy rolled his eyes.

Jay smiled at his best friend, ignoring the other man's comment. "It's her mother's birthday, and she went to visit her grave across the street," he told him. "She'll be back soon."

Adam walked over to the door, spotting Belle among the rows of tombstones. Then, concern appeared in his dark eyes when he saw that she was crying as she crouched down in front of one of the graves in the snow.

"You should go to her," Drew muttered when he came up to the door next to him. "Poor girl shouldn't be alone."

"Yeah..." Adam nodded. "I will."

* * *

Belle slowly walked down the rows of tombstones, coming to a stop in front of her mother's. Tears formed in her eyes, spilling over and rolling down her cheeks as her gaze ran over the words on the headstone. Her mother's name and the words "loving wife and mother." Underneath it were her favorite Bible verse and the dates of her life, along with an angel engraving.

Silent sobs now shaking her shoulders, Belle slowly crouched in front of the grave as she ran her fingertips over the cool stone. "Mom... I miss you so much," she whispered, sniffing as she tried to wipe her tears away. "Please... let me know some way if I did the right thing about Dad... Please..."

Then, she heard footsteps crunching in the snow nearby, and Belle slowly looked up and saw Adam was standing at the end of the row of tombstones. "Are you okay?" he asked, slowly beginning to walk toward her.

Belle smiled at him, getting to her feet as he stopped next to her. "Yeah, I'm fine," she answered quietly, wiping away the remainder of her tears. "Just visiting my mom... It's her birthday."

"I see," Adam muttered, reading over the headstone carefully. "I'm sorry that you lost her. She was too young."

"Much too young." Belle took a deep breath, silently admitting that she was glad Adam was there. She needed the support. "I used to come leave my sketches and paintings here for her on her birthday..."

"Sketches and paintings?" Adam looked down at her curiously.

Belle nodded. "It's my passion," she explained. "My mother used to be my main support for it when I was growing up."

"Why did you stop leaving them here?"

"I went to college in California to be an art major," Belle replied, sighing as she slowly shook her head. "I should have continued anyway..."

There was a tense moment of silence between them as they simply stared at the headstone. Finally, Belle looked over at him. "Adam?"

"Yeah?" Adam turned to look at her curiously.

Belle smiled slightly. "There's a park that's about thirty from here," she said. "Do you want to go take a walk with me?"

"Isn't it a little cold?" Adam asked, pulling his coat tighter around him.

"It's not below zero and it's sunny," Belle answered. "So stop complaining. And besides, I need to get out for a little bit. Don't you want to make sure I don't run away again?"

"Point taken," Adam muttered with a sigh. "If you really want to..." His sentence trailed off when he saw the smile on her face. "All right, let's go."

The walk to the park was silent as they walked together down the sidewalk, Adam a bit tense as he tried to make sure his face was hidden from view from any passerby. He glanced beside him at Belle, never noticing how beautiful she was as her eyes shone when a broad smile lit up her face. Maybe it was because it was the first time he had seen her truly happy since she had arrived...

When they got to the park, they saw that there were a few children laughing and playing on the slide. Belle began to walk toward the vacant swing set, but Adam hesitated on the sidewalk. Seeing that he wasn't walking with her, she turned back to look at him. "Come on," she said.

"I don't know..." Adam muttered, looking at the children with their parents warily.

Belle laughed a little and shook her head, grabbing onto Adam's arm. "Come on," she repeated. "You need to lighten up."

Adam grumbled under his breath but allowed Belle to pull him along. She led him to the swing set, brushing snow off one of them before sitting on it. Adam did the same, but he didn't really swing like Belle did.

"I used to come here with my mom all the time," Belle muttered, continuing to go higher. "So many memories..."

"I'm glad you're happy," Adam told her.

Belle laughed a little, swinging a couple more times before she jumped off, landing a bit awkwardly in the snow. Adam got to his feet, putting his hands out to steady her if he needed to, but she regained her balance on her own.

"I'm okay," she said with a broad smile, laughing again. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

"Okay." Adam started to walk after her as she headed toward the nature path. She was so much more beautiful when she was happy and carefree, and he couldn't describe the elated feeling inside of him to see her that way.

As they walked down the path, Belle marveled at the sight of the snow-covered trees around them, and Adam smiled slightly as he watched her. The childlike wonder on her face was much different than the sorrow that had traced her features when she had first offered to stay with them.

Then, Belle stopped under a tree, laughing as she looked up into it's branches. "Aww! Adam, come here and look at this!" she said.

"What?" Adam joined her by the tree, searching for what she was looking at. The only thing he could see was two birds sitting nestled next to each other on a branch, occasionally chirping happily. "They're just birds..."

His sentence trailed off as he turned to look at Belle, only to find that she wasn't there. He started to look around for her, his nerves on high alert. Had she tried to run after all? "Belle? Belle!"

Suddenly, something cold and wet hit him in the side of the head as clear laughter echoed around him. Adam wiped the snow off his face, seeing that Belle was hiding behind the tree across the path from him.

"Gotcha," she said, grinning broadly.

Adam smirked at her, quickly bending down and making his own snowball before running at her. Belle screamed when he approached the tree she was hiding behind and ran from him, hearing his snowball hit another tree beside her as she made her escape.

Making another snowball, Adam continued to walk through the trees to try to find her, hoping to sneak up on her. However, he didn't get far before a snowball hit him in the back, making him drop his own. He quickly turned around, seeing that Belle had somehow gotten behind him, once again laughing at his misfortune.

"You want me to lighten up?" he muttered. Abandoning the snowball idea, Adam just ran at her, chasing her out onto the path. Belle shrieked when he caught up with her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, both of them losing their balance and falling side by side in the snow.

"Gotcha," Adam muttered, a broad grin on his face.

"So not fair," Belle complained with a laugh, turning onto her back to look up at the sky above them. "Stupid wrestler..."

Adam did the same, chuckling to himself as he did so. "I get it," he muttered. "It's not fair unless you win, right?"

"No!" Belle propped herself up on her arms to look over at him. "Of course not!"

"Whatever you say, Belle."

Belle was about to give him a snappy comeback, but she paused when she noticed something different about him as he looked back at her. "You're smiling..."

Adam blinked with surprise, having not noticed he was smiling as he quickly removed it from his face. "You're just seeing things..." But no matter how much he denied it, he knew he couldn't ignore the feeling of happiness he felt inside of him when he was with her now.

Belle looked down at him, a small smile appearing on her own face. He could argue with her all he wanted, but she had seen him truly smile at her. And in that smile, she had seen something in him that she hadn't before, his dark eyes having a brighter glint...

Since her arms were starting to get a bit cold, Belle pushed herself up into a sitting position, setting her hands back on the snow. But she gasped quietly when her left one landed on Adam's hand, and they both glanced down at them. Adam then looked up at her, watching as she finally tore her eyes away from their hands and their gazes met. He couldn't quite read the look she was giving him, but it was one she had never given him before...

Then, a cold wind rushed past them, and Belle removed her hand as she wrapped her arms around herself to try to keep warm and blushed slightly as she moved her eyes from his. Adam slowly sat up next to her, shrugging his coat off and wrapping it around her shoulders.

Belle looked over at him with surprise. "Weren't you the cold one before?" she asked with a slight laugh.

Adam sighed. "I think I'll be fine," he answered quietly. "Want to head back to the hotel?"

"Sure," Belle muttered, pulling his coat tighter around her to fight off the chill.

"Come on, then." Adam got to his feet, offering his hand to her. Belle looked at it for a long moment, debating about what to do, before she sighed and took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

"There, was that so hard?" Adam wondered in a joking way, his usual smirk lighting up his face. He laughed a little when Belle just smacked his arm. "Let's go."

Belle walked along with him as they headed down the path in the opposite direction, truly grateful for the extra warmth his coat provided. She glanced at him, feeling another blush creeping up to her cheeks. She wouldn't go as far as to call him a Prince Charming, but there was definitely something in him that she hadn't seen.

Adam, feeling her eyes on him, looked back at her, but Belle quickly looked away, acting suddenly interested in the trees around them. He laughed quietly to himself, shaking his head as they left the park before heading back to the hotel.

From the car parked across the street, Mike Mizanin's eyes widened with shock as the two walked away from the park. "Is that really... It can't be..." he muttered.

John's eyes narrowed angrily as he watched Belle smile up at Adam, cursing heatedly under his breath as he started the car. "So, the old man was right. Adam really is here," he said, mainly to himself. "This changes everything..."

"What are you going to do?" Mike wondered, looking up at him curiously as they drove away from the park.

"I don't know exactly yet, Mike," John replied, looking at the pair intently as he passed them. "But what I do know is that he will regret every laying eyes on her."

* * *

As Belle and Adam reached the hotel, Jay, Drew, Taryn, and Randy watched them with amusement from the third floor hallway window.

"Well, what do you know?" Taryn asked quietly, a smile spreading across her face.

"I never would have thought we'd see this," Jay muttered, seeing that Adam and Belle were both laughing about something as she gave him his coat back.

"Did you guys think they'd come together like this?" Drew added, wrapping his arm around Taryn. "They're both so stubborn..."

Randy laughed a little, the sound almost hopeful for the first time since Belle had arrived. "I didn't," he told him.

"Well, we'll wait and see how this goes," Jay said, though he also found the sight to be very encouraging. "There may be something between them that none of us realized after all."

* * *

Belle left her room later that afternoon, wandering down to catering. When she got there, she saw that Drew and Randy were in the kitchen, making what appeared to be hamburger patties. They looked up when she entered, and Drew gave her a smile while Randy looked away.

"Yes, Belle?"

"Do you guys know where Adam is?" Belle asked.

Drew and Randy exchanged quick looks. "Um... He and Jay ran out to get a couple things," Drew finally answered, seeing Belle raise her eyebrow. But Adam had told them to keep her occupied, and that's what he was going to do. "But why don't you stay here and eat with us?"

"That's okay," Belle said. "I'm not really hungry. I'll see you guys around."

Drew watched her leave nervously, but before he could say anything, Randy slapped him upside the head. "Look, you burned it!"

Belle laughed a little as she walked out into the lobby, hearing them continue to bicker. She sighed. Adam had asked her to meet him at four, and it was almost that time.

She heard the door open behind her, and Belle turned and watched as Taryn came out of catering. She must have been in another part of the kitchen and hadn't seen her. "Hey, Belle!" she said cheerfully.

"Hi," Belle replied, crossing her arms. "What's going on, Taryn? Everyone's acting weird..."

"Oh, um..." Taryn bit her bottom lip when she saw Adam and Jay approaching the door with a few big bags in their hands, and she tilted her head to the side quickly to gesture they should take the side door. Adam stopped, his eyes widening when he saw Belle, and he quickly started to push Jay toward the other door when he saw Taryn's signal. Belle turned to look over her shoulder at the door to see who she was looking at, but no one was there.

"So, what were we talking about?" Taryn wondered when Belle turned back to her.

"Who was out there?" Belle asked.

Taryn shrugged. "No one, sweetie," she told her.

Belle slowly shook her head. "I don't know why people are acting so weird..."

"Well, we've been in this hotel for a year, what do you expect?" Taryn muttered. But then she smiled and grabbed onto her arm. "Come on, I have a couple outfits you might be interested in."

They went up to the couple's room on the third floor, Taryn sitting Belle down on the bed before going through the closet and pulling out a few shirts to look through. Belle picked out a couple, glad for the fresh clothes, and walked them across the hall to her room. She finished folding them up and putting them on the end of the bed when there was a knock on her door. Confused, Belle went over and opened it, seeing that Adam was standing on the other side with a small smirk on his face.

"You're five minutes late," she told him.

Adam laughed a little. "I know. It took a little longer than I thought," he replied. Then, a small smile appeared on his face. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

"What is it?" Belle wondered.

"Well, that would ruin the surprise," Adam told her. "Now come on."

Wondering what he was excited to show her, Belle followed Adam out into the hallway. He led her up the stairs, and for a moment, she thought he was bringing her to the fourth floor. But Adam continued up the stairs, and Belle followed him up to the fifth story.

"Close your eyes," Adam said once they were standing in front of the only door. Deciding to humor him, Belle did what she was told.

Once he was sure they were closed, Adam opened the door before taking her arm and carefully leading her into the room. "Okay, you can open them," he muttered.

Belle opened her eyes, and she gasped quietly when she saw how different the room was than when she had found her father in it when she first arrived. An easel had been set up by the window, a stool in front of it and a set of colors and brushes sitting on the sill. There was a small bookshelf in the corner containing sketchbooks and a container of pencils, pens, and erasers. The wooden chair had been been removed, and in its place in the center of the room was a small, more comfortable beanbag chair.

"Oh, my God..." Belle turned to look at Adam with shock. "Did you do this?"

"It depends. Do you like it?" Adam asked with a slight smile.

"Like it? I love it!" Belle smiled broadly as she hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much!"

Adam looked down at her with surprise, unsure of what to do. Then, he slowly wrapped his arms around her too. "You're welcome, Belle."

**Author's Note**: They're getting closer... but time's running out. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	7. Chapter 6: Human Again

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey! Thank you to **Mattaggot**, **StraightxEdgex1991**, **gimmesomeJustinGabriel.x**, and **stephiexo95** for the reviews! I really appreciate them. Hope you like this chapter too!

_Chapter 6- Human Again_

When Belle woke up the next morning, she was surprised to smell something sweet coming from downstairs. She changed into one of the shirts Taryn had given her, finding that it fit just about right, before leaving her room to see what was going on.

She found the whole group sitting in catering, Jay and Adam looking at the newspaper while Randy sat across from them. Drew and Taryn were in the kitchen, rolling up dough for the chocolate chip cookies they were making.

"What are you guys doing?" Belle asked, stopping behind Adam and Jay.

"Oh, just catching up on what's happening in the world," Jay answered, taking a deep breath as he set the paper down on the table. He gave Randy a warning glare when he saw the suspicious look he was giving Belle, and Adam snarled quietly. "I'm surprised they haven't caught that murderer yet at the rate he's going..."

"Maybe there's more than one person," Belle muttered thoughtfully, remembering the four men that had attacked her a couple nights before. "The murders are taking place not far from here, right?"

"Yeah..."

Adam looked up at Belle, having the same idea. "I should have gone after them," he muttered with a sigh.

Belle looked back at him, but before she could say anything, Taryn spoke up from the kitchen. "Hey, Belle! Wanna help us finish these cookies?"

"Sure!" Belle looked back at Adam for a second before walking to the kitchen to help Drew and Taryn. Adam watched her leave before he and Jay went back to looking at the paper intently.

"So, where did you see that, Jay?"

"Um... Here," Jay muttered, pointing to the advertisement. "The Winter Carnival down by the pier. It starts at six and goes until midnight."

Adam nodded thoughtfully. "So, what do you think?" he wondered. "Should I bring her?"

"I think you should," Jay told him as he folded the paper back up. "It would be a good time to see if something happens."

"It is a good spot. I do love that pier..."

Randy sighed. "I don't like that we're placing all our faith in this one girl," he said. "How do we know that she is the one to break this curse? This is our last night before-!"

"Keep it down, Randy," Jay hissed as he glanced at Belle nervously, seeing that she was too busy laughing along with Taryn when Drew got some flour in his face. "I know it's putting a lot to chance, but I do think that this girl could be the one."

Adam nodded. "She could be..." he agreed quietly.

Jay sighed. "Tonight is Christmas Eve, and we have the whole day to set up the right romantic atmosphere," he muttered as Drew walked over to them from the kitchen, deciding to leave the baking to the girls. "Here's what we'll do."

* * *

Adam walked up the stairs to Belle's room, taking a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Come in!"

After a moment, Adam grabbed the handle and pushed the door open, seeing that Belle was sitting on the bed with a plate of cookies in front of her and a glass of milk on the small table next to her. "Hey," she said with a smile when she saw him. "Want some cookies? Taryn gave me them, but I can't eat them all."

"Sure," Adam replied with a slight smile of his own as he sat on the bed with her and took a cookie. He had a feeling she had given her too many on purpose. "Thanks."

"No, thank you," Belle told him with a slight laugh. "I didn't want these to go to waste."

Adam shook his head slightly as he took a bite. Belle looked at him for a moment before she sighed. "Hey," she muttered, remembering how he had felt after reading the newspaper article. "You do know it's not your fault you couldn't go after those men, right?"

Sighing, Adam slowly nodded. "Yeah, other things seemed more important at the time," he replied quietly, meeting her gaze.

Belle felt a slight blush creeping to her cheeks, looking down to hopefully hide it. "And you were hurt," she added.

Adam rolled his eyes, smiling slightly as he also picked up another cookie. "Yeah, that too." Then, he looked at her thoughtfully. "Hey, the white car sitting out front is your dad's, right?" he asked.

Belle nodded. "Yeah, he said it broke down," she answered. "Why?"

"Well, if you want, I can take a look at it," Adam muttered. "There's nothing that I can really do about it today, but we could at least find the problem."

"Really?" Belle wondered.

Adam nodded with a small smile. "Yeah, once we finish these."

Belle smiled back. "Thanks, that'd be great!"

"Sure thing, Belle."

Her smile lingering, Belle picked up another cookie. The next day was Christmas, and she wondered how she would be spending it at the hotel. But no matter what, she would try to make it as special as possible.

* * *

Once Belle and Adam went outside to check out Mark's car, the rest of the group put their plan in motion. Jay and Drew brought up a couple boxes of old Christmas decorations from the basement and went into catering to set them up. Jay started to set up the mini-Christmas tree on a table in the corner, winding lights around it and adding some tinsel. Drew put the wreath up on the kitchen door, and Taryn climbed up on a stepladder to hang mistletoe in the doorway of the room before placing the green and red napkins they had bought on the tables. Randy took a ladder and hung more lights over the windows, adding some artificial frost to the sills.

While he was doing this, Drew snuck up behind him and slipped a Santa hat on his head. Randy pulled it off immediately, looking at it with surprise for a moment before turning to look at the laughing man angrily and throwing it at him.

Once they were finished, the four stood by the door to admire their handiwork. "I think this looks good," Jay muttered with a smile on his face.

"I agree," Taryn said with a smile, wrapping her arms around Drew. "This is so exciting!"

Even Randy had to nod as he looked around the decorated room. "It definitely provides the right atmosphere," he admitted.

"All right, then," Drew said with fresh determination. "Let's start on this dinner. After all, we have to make this night very special for both Belle and Adam. It's our one chance at staying human."

* * *

Belle knew the car wasn't going to take as much work as she had originally thought as Adam checked under the hood, finding the likely solution would be to replace the fuel pump. They headed inside soon after, and after dropping her coat off in her room, she went up to the room Adam had made for her on the fifth floor. Grabbing a sketchbook and a couple pencils, she sat in the beanbag chair, trying to think of a sketch she could start.

She didn't brainstorm long before she heard footsteps. Belle looked up, watching as Adam appeared in the doorway. "Hey," she said. "Wanna join me?"

Adam smiled. "Not what I came for, but sure," he replied, walking into the room and sitting down on the floor next to her.

"Well, what did you come for then?" Belle asked, looking at him curiously.

"You know Taryn," Adam answered with a slight laugh. "She wanted to make sure you were doing okay. When you weren't in your room, I figured you were up here."

Belle laughed. "Yeah, that's very true," she agreed. "I'm okay. Just trying to figure out something new to start. All of my old ones are at my dad's house."

Adam looked at the blank page of her sketchbook curiously. "What kind of things do you usually draw?" he wondered, hoping to get to know her a bit more.

"Well, I usually don't draw people," Belle told him. "A lot of people draw other people. And people are one thing we see every day. You know what they look like. Their features, mannerisms... It gets repetitive. I like things a little more abstract. I look at a person and try to draw what I see on the inside, if that makes sense. I look in their eyes, get a glimpse at their soul, and I draw a tangible object that reminds me of that person. I've always had that insight since I was a little girl."

"Have you drawn one for yourself?" Adam wondered.

Belle bit her bottom lip, thinking about the sketch that she had been currently working on before she had taken her dad's place at the hotel. "Yes," she replied quietly. "It's not finished yet, but..."

Adam noticed her hesitation. "Do you mind if I ask what it was? I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to..."

"No, it's not that." Belle gave him a small smile. "I just don't know what you would think of me."

"Belle, you're a very kind-hearted, loving girl," Adam said with a smile of his own. "There is no way I could think badly of you."

After a moment, Belle nodded. "I don't know if that's what I'm concerned about either," she muttered. "What I was drawing for myself was a rose. But, it's not healthy. It's starting to wilt..."

Adam looked at her with what she could have sworn was concern. "Why is that?" he asked. "Surely one as beautiful as you deserves more than a wilting rose."

The compliment made Belle laugh a little. She had gotten it many times. "I don't draw what I see on the outside, remember?"

"I know. I didn't mean your pretty face."

Belle looked at Adam with surprise. For the first time since she could remember, she had been given the compliment by a man that hadn't been talking about her looks. Despite her quirks and differences that often made her more of an outcast, he had seen something in her that he considered beautiful. She had never had someone tell her that before.

"What?" Adam wondered, able to tell by the look on her face that what he had said wasn't something she usually heard.

"Oh. Nothing," Belle finally replied, another smile appearing on her face.

Adam looked at her with confusion, but seeing that she didn't want to talk about it, decided to go back to the discussion at hand. "So, why the wilting rose?"

Belle sighed. "Well, as you know, my mom died when I was younger. And with my dad gone on the road so much, I didn't have much of a constant in my life," she explained. "And now that I'm older, I feel that I don't really have a place to belong, to call home. I don't really fit in anywhere. And yeah, a guy would be nice, but I haven't found the right one for me. A lot of the guys I meet are interested in, as you put it, my pretty face. They don't look at me for who I am as a person. That's what I want. Someone to love and accept me for who I am." She paused, shaking her head. "Sorry I'm telling you all of this. It's not your problem."

"That's okay," Adam told her. "You needed to get that off your chest. It's a shame these guys don't see who you are. But, it's their loss, not yours. I hope you find the guy you want, Belle. Don't settle for anything less than your expectations."

"Thanks for listening," Belle said. "I have been needing to get that out..." Then, she laughed a little. "You know, it's strange. I feel... comfortable here."

Adam looked at her with surprise. "You do?"

Belle looked back down at him. "Yeah," she replied. "I really do..."

"Well, I'm glad about that." Adam felt a small smile appear on his face. "We don't judge by appearances around here."

"Thankfully," Belle muttered, a smile on her own face. Then, she looked at him curiously. "Mind if I try something?"

"Um... depends on what it is," Adam said.

Belle laughed a little. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad," she told him. "Here."

Adam watched as she got off the beanbag chair and knelt on the floor in front of him, brushing a couple strands of his blond hair out of his face as she looked into his eyes. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I want to see what I can draw for you," Belle answered quietly, gazing into his near black orbs intently. "But right now, I'm not sure..."

Sighing, Adam moved his gaze from hers. "I don't think you'll be able to draw me," he muttered. "Not now, anyway. And even if you could see something clearly, you wouldn't like what you see..."

Belle placed her hand on his cheek, and Adam looked back at her, surprised to see that she was smiling. "I just said I wasn't sure what I'm seeing," she told him. "I never said I see something bad. I don't."

Adam shook his head slightly with disbelief. She hadn't seen the monster inside him... "Belle, I..." he began, but then he sighed. "I should go. I've got a couple things to do before tonight. I'll see you later, okay?"

"But, Adam..." Belle's sentence trailed off as she watched Adam get to his feet, sighing as he left the room. She picked up her sketchbook, staring down at the blank page for a moment before shutting it, setting it on the beanbag chair. She stood up, looking around the room for a moment before she left, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

"Can you guys just imagine it?" Taryn asked, her eyes radiating with excitement as she pushed the door of the hotel open and stepped outside. "By tomorrow, we'll be free from this curse!"

"And what a relief that will be," Drew answered with a broad smile, catching Taryn's hand as he stepped out after her.

"So, what's the first thing you guys are going to do once it's broken?" Jay wondered with his own expectant smile as he and Randy followed them.

Taryn laughed as she looked back at Drew, holding his hand at arm's length for a moment before he twirled her toward him and held her close. "I was thinking of going back down to New Orleans," she said, an almost dream-like glint in her eye. "Maybe get married start a family with my man here... You know, every girl's dream. But maybe a getaway at a beach in Hawaii or something first. What do you think, sweetheart?"

Drew smiled down at her, meeting her lips in a quick but loving kiss. "A getaway sounds great," he told her. Then, he looked up at their other two friends. "How about you guys?"

"I'm planning on going back to St. Louis and see my wife and daughter," Randy said, a small smile appearing at the corner of his lips as he thought about his family. "I miss them terribly... Having Sam next to me when I fall asleep and wake up, holding Alanna in my arms and hearing her laugh, seeing her smile... As soon as this curse is off us, I'm going home."

A smile appeared on Jay's face when he saw Taryn, Drew, and Randy all turn to look at him. "Going back home to Tampa sounds nice," he muttered thoughtfully. "And, I don't know. I've given it some thought, and I think going back to the WWE would be something I'd like to do."

"Really?" Drew asked. "That'd be great, Jay! Who knows? We may all end up back there someday."

"Who knows?" Then, Jay laughed a little as he looked back up at the hotel. "We should head back in soon."

"You're right!" Taryn agreed, beaming with excitement as she moved out from under Drew's arms. "We're getting ahead of ourselves. Let's finish up making this night as magical as possible!"

* * *

Belle lay on her bed in her room, looking out the window as she watched the sun starting to set. Her mind was on the earlier conversation she had with Adam, still trying to figure out what she saw when she looked into his eyes. As she had told him, it hadn't been anything bad, but the thought was going to drive her crazy until she could figure out what it was.

Then, she looked at the door when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, watching as Adam walked past her room with a black case in his hand. Curious, Belle got to her feet and went to the doorway, watching as he went up the stairs toward the fourth floor. Once she was sure he was a good distance ahead, she left her room and shut the door behind her before following after him.

She heard more footsteps on the next flight of stairs when she got to the fourth floor, and she hurried down the hallway and watched as Adam made his way to the fifth. Confused, Belle slowly walked up the stairs, hearing a loud noise from the floor above her before she heard his footsteps going up what sounded like another flight of stairs. Knowing it was the top floor, she ran up the rest of the way to see where else he could have possibly gone.

When Belle entered the hallway, she saw a small, narrow wooden staircase had been pulled down from the ceiling at the end of it on the other side of the room Adam had made for her. She approached the foot of them and looked up, seeing they led to the roof. She slowly began to go up them, pausing when she heard soft music float down to her that sounded like a guitar. Even more curious now, Belle went up the rest of the steps a bit quicker, surprised by the sight before her.

Adam was sitting near the edge of the roof, a guitar in hand as he played through a few chords. Belle watched him with awe, his fingers moving over the frets with ease. She didn't know why she couldn't seem to look away...

"Hello, Belle."

Belle blinked with surprise when she heard his sudden, quiet voice, unsure of how he had known she was there when he hadn't even looked in her direction. "How did you..."

"I heard you follow me up here," Adam muttered as he continued to play without looking at her.

Blushing slightly when she realized she had been caught, Belle considered heading back downstairs since he didn't seem to be in the mood to talk, but at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to leave. "Mind if I join you?" she asked.

Adam simply shook his head in answer, and Belle climbed up the rest of the stairs and sat down next to him, wrapping her arms tightly around herself to try to block the chill. She watched and listened to him play for a few more minutes, shaking her head in wonder. "That's beautiful," she muttered. "Did you write it yourself?"

"Yeah," Adam replied as he stopped, setting the guitar back in the case. "It's not finished yet."

Belle smiled slightly. "I'm sure you'll find an ending for it," she told him.

Adam returned it. "I'm sure I will." Then he sighed, looking out at the city beneath them as the sun's golden rays set over it. "I come up here to think a lot."

"It's a good place." Belle turned to look at the sight too, but she gasped quietly when she felt a bit dizzy at being so close to the edge.

Noticing her discomfort, Adam turned to look over at her and placed his hand lightly on top of hers. "Don't worry, I won't let you fall," he murmured.

Belle looked up at him and smiled, feeling a bit better by the gesture. "So, what are you thinking about now?" she wondered quietly.

Adam sighed as he thought about his answer. The most prevalent thought on his mind was that the rose was down to its last petal, but he wasn't sure about going into that with her. "Are you sure you're really happy here?" he finally asked. "With us? With... me?"

"Yes," Belle answered, confused about where this was coming from. She thought she had told him that earlier. "I am. I like being here with you guys. Why are you..."

"Good." Adam gave her a small smile before it faltered, and he looked away from her again. "Belle... there is one thing I have to tell you."

"What?" Belle asked, a bit concerned when she heard the sadness enter his tone.

Sighing, Adam slowly raised his gaze to meet hers, the same sorrow in his near black eyes. "Belle," he muttered. "I didn't mean... to hurt your father."

Belle looked back at him, a thin line of tears forming in her eyes. "Adam..."

But before either one of them could say anything more, Adam quickly looked back at the staircase and saw that Taryn had appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Hey, Belle, can I talk to you for a minute, sweetie?"

"Sure." Belle turned back to Adam, seeing that a small smile had replaced the sad look on his face. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, meet you downstairs," Adam told her. He watched as Belle got up and followed Taryn out of sight, turning back to look at the city below. He then took his guitar out of the case again, making sure it was tuned before he began to gently play a few more chords.

* * *

Mark sighed as he finished pulling his shoes on and got to his feet, going to the hall closet and grabbing his coat. He didn't care if his knee gave out on him, he would go get his daughter away from Adam if it was the last thing he did.

Then, he heard a loud knock on the door. Confused, Mark walked over and pulled it open, his eyes narrowing slightly when he saw John Hennigan and Mike Mizanin standing on the other side, smirking at him.

"Hello, Mark."

* * *

"Thank you, Taryn, it's beautiful," Belle muttered, admiring the ruby necklace in the mirror.

Taryn smiled as she placed her hand on Belle's shoulder. "You're welcome, dear," she replied, her tone expressing her excitement. "Here, why don't you wear this too?"

Belle watched as Taryn pulled a red ribbon out of her dresser. "Is this really necessary?" she asked.

"Of course!" Taryn answered, pulling Belle's hair back to wrap the ribbon around it. "It's Christmas Eve. Gotta make you look nice. Not that you don't already, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I guess," Belle said, not too thrilled with the makeover as Taryn finished. But as she looked at her reflection, she had to admit that she liked the look. Red had always been her best color.

"Let's get a good look at you." Taryn then grabbed Belle's hand and pulled her to her feet, looking her over carefully. Her eyes scanned the Converse, dark jeans and red short-sleeved shirt, finally landing on the necklace and ribbon she had given her. A smile appeared on her face as she nodded with approval. "Casual... yet classy. I like it!"

Belle couldn't help the smile that crept to her face too as she glanced down at her outfit. "Thanks, Taryn," she replied. "I do too."

Taryn laughed a little, giving her a tight hug. Then, they both looked up when there was a knock on the door, and Taryn quickly crossed the room and opened the door. She smiled when she saw Drew standing on the other side.

The Scotsman gave his girlfriend a quick kiss before turning his attention to Belle, a smile on his face. "Dinner is served."

**Author's Note**: Hope you liked it! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	8. Chapter 7: Beauty and the Beast

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey! In a bit of a rush, but thank you guys so much for your reviews! Glad you're liking this story! Hope you like this chapter too!

_Chapter 7- Beauty and the Beast_

Belle walked down the steps, accompanied by Drew and Taryn, and she paused for a minute when she saw Adam was standing at the bottom in the lobby. He looked up at her, Drew and Taryn quickly hurrying past him into the kitchen, and a smile slowly spread across his face as he held his arm out to her. Belle smiled back as she walked down the rest of the stairs, linking her arm through his.

"You look nice," Adam told her.

"Well... it was Taryn's doing," Belle replied with a quiet laugh.

"I figured," Adam said, his smile lingering. "But still... Red's a good color on you."

Belle felt a small blush make its way up to her cheeks. "Thanks."

Adam laughed a little too. "Well, should we head in?" When Belle nodded, he smiled as he led her across the lobby.

When they entered catering, Belle gasped and her eyes widened in awe as she looked around at the room, lit only by the colored Christmas lights hung around the windows and the small tree in the corner. "It's beautiful," she muttered.

Adam smiled as he looked around at the room also, approving of the atmosphere his friends had set. Then, he glanced up, seeing what was hanging in the doorway above them. "Hey, Belle," he said quietly. "You know what they saw about two people being under mistletoe."

Belle looked up, smiling slightly when she saw the small plant. She turned to Adam, getting up on her toes and kissing his cheek.

They then sat down at the nearest table across from each other, smiling when Taryn came out of the kitchen and placed two plates of ham and vegetables in front of them. "Here you guys go!" she said with a cheerful smile.

"Taryn, you didn't have to do this," Belle replied with a smile of her own.

"Oh, I know, dear," Taryn told her, placing her hand on her shoulder. "But it's Christmas Eve, and I wanted to make things a bit more special." She winked at Adam.

"Well, thank you, Taryn, it's wonderful," Adam muttered, smiling slightly himself.

Taryn grinned broadly with excitement. "Enjoy, you two!"

While Belle and Adam began to eat, Taryn left catering when Drew joined her and entered the lobby where Jay and Randy were waiting. "So, how is everything?" Jay asked, an expectant smile on his face.

"Great!" Taryn answered with a smile. "It's amazing how far they've come. Barely friends, and now look at them."

"Ah, young love," Drew muttered, pulling Taryn close and kissing her.

Randy rolled his eyes, and Jay looked at him with a slight laugh. "What?" he wondered. "Even you can't say that this isn't encouraging."

"Well... okay, a little," Randy agreed with reluctance. "But can they break this curse by midnight?"

"I think so, Randy," Taryn said from next to him. "You know what they say. This is the time for miracles."

* * *

"John Hennigan?" Adam asked as he laughed, finishing up his ham. "You're kidding me."

"Wish I was," Belle answered, rolling her eyes as she took another bite. "He's had this major crush on me since high school. I don't think that guy is ever going to give up on me."

Adam smirked. "Well, maybe he'll learn eventually," he muttered.

This time, it was Belle who laughed. "I wish," she replied, shaking her head. "But I don't think that's ever going to happen. He's one of those guys I was talking about earlier who's only interested in me because of how I look. Even if that wasn't the case, I don't think I'd even consider dating him anyway. He's so-!"

"Conceited?" Adam finished for her.

Belle looked at him for a moment before nodding. "Yeah," she said. "That's exactly it."

Adam laughed a little. "Well, even though I worked with him for a little while, I never spent much time with him since we never got along the greatest," he replied. "That much was easy enough to see."

"I think _anyone_ could see what an arrogant as... idiot he is." Belle raised an eyebrow when she saw Adam chuckling. "What?"

"Nothing, Belle," Adam told her, but his smile told otherwise. "Do you feel like you can't call him a worse name in front of me or something?"

Belle sighed, though a smile appeared on her own face. "No," she muttered. "It's just with eating... never mind."

Adam shook his head. "You wouldn't have offended me, Belle."

"Well, I was only trying to be polite."

"Even to the arrogant asshole?" Adam asked, raising an eyebrow.

Belle laughed, shaking her head. "Hey, you said it, not me," she answered, not able to keep the smile from spreading across her face.

Then, they looked up when Taryn entered the room again with Jay, the latter taking their plates as they both walked back into the kitchen. Belle frowned slightly. "I didn't even get to tell her that the dinner was excellent," she muttered.

"Just wait a minute," Adam said, and Belle looked back at him.

Shortly after the words were out of his mouth, Taryn came back out, carrying two plates in her hands. When she set them on the table, Belle's eyes lit up when she saw they each contained a brownie covered with red and green sprinkles and a candle in the middle.

"Enjoy," she told them with a broad smile before she began to walk away from the table, Jay close behind her.

"Thank you so much, Taryn!" Belle called after her, only to be met with another smile as they left the room. She then turned back to Adam, seeing that he was looking at her with a small smile. "Wow, these look delicious."

"Taryn outdid herself," Adam agreed, about to blow out the candle on his brownie. But he paused, looking at Belle curiously when he saw her expectant look. "Yes?"

Belle's smile broadened. "Aren't you going to make a wish before you blow it out?" she wondered.

Adam laughed a little. "You first," he told her.

"Okay." Belle bit her bottom lip thoughtfully, closing her eyes when she reached a conclusion before she leaned forward a little and blew out her candle.

"So, what did you wish for?" Adam asked as the smoke began to clear.

"I thought you weren't supposed to tell anyone your wish or else it wouldn't come true," Belle answered with a playful smile.

"And I thought that rule only applied to birthday wishes," Adam countered with a smirk.

Belle sighed as she looked back at him. "Fine. A place to call home," she told him quietly. "With a guy who truly cares about me." She appeared to be lost in thought for a moment before she grinned. "Okay, you're turn!"

Adam sighed, looking at the flickering flame of the candle for a long moment. Then, he slowly leaned forward and blew it out. "There."

"And what did you wish for?"

"Well, I don't know..." Adam began.

"What?" Belle laughed a little. "Come on! I told you mine."

Adam smiled. "Mine's a bit... complicated," he muttered. "What if I told you that you will find out later?"

Belle looked at him carefully for a long moment. "Why don't you want to tell me?" she wondered.

"It would be easier for me to show you," Adam told her quietly.

Sighing, Belle finally nodded. "Okay, you win," she replied. "As long as you keep your word and I find out later."

Adam nodded. "You will," he assured her.

"All right then." Belle picked up her glass of water she had since their dinner started, holding it out in front of her. Adam picked his glass up and clinked it against hers, both taking a sip before starting on their brownies.

Once they were finished with their dessert, Adam led Belle back out into the lobby. "Go grab your coat," he told her with a smile. "We're going out."

"Really?" Belle asked. He had never offered to bring her anywhere. "Where?"

Adam laughed a little. "You'll see," he answered. "Just go get your coat."

Belle looked at him for a moment before sighing, knowing that she would find out sooner if she just did what he asked. Adam watched as she hurried up the stairs, taking a deep breath once she was out of sight. This was his one chance to show her that he truly did care about her, their last hope of remaining human. He had to go through with it.

The sound of approaching footsteps brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked up as Belle came back down the stairs, slipping her coat on. "All right, I'm ready," she said. "Let's go."

"Ladies first," Adam muttered as he gestured to the front door.

Belle smiled, crossing the lobby and pushing the door open, holding it until Adam joined her, and they both went out into the night. "So, where are we going?" she asked as she walked beside him down the dark sidewalk.

Adam smiled and laughed a little, his breath coming out in a small cloud in the cold air in front of him. "Come on, Belle, that wouldn't be fun," he answered, smirking at her.

Belle put her hands in her pockets so they would be shielded from the cold, sticking her tongue out at him. "Fine..."

"Pout all you want, Belle, but I'm still not going to tell you."

She wished she could wipe the confident smirk off his face, but Belle was too curious to find out what he had in mind, so she resorted to playfully nudging him in the side. Adam looked down at her and laughed a little when he saw the pleading look she was giving him.

"No, the cute face won't work either," he stated as he looked ahead of them again.

"Dang it."

Adam sighed as he looked back at her, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Why are you so impatient about knowing where we're going?" he wondered. "The surprise is half the fun."

Belle looked up at him. "Well, you have to admit that you've never done this," she told him.

"That's true," Adam agreed as he looked away. "But I think you'll really like this. Just trust me, okay?"

After watching him for a moment longer, Belle smiled slightly. "I do," she muttered.

Adam looked at her almost with surprise before returning the smile and holding his hand out to her. Belle looked at it for a moment before taking her hand out of her pocket and wrapping her fingers around his hand, allowing him to lead her along the dark street.

They walked in silence for a while, Belle continuing to wonder where they were headed and Adam offering no clues. Then, her eyes narrowed when she heard quiet music float over to them, and she looked up at him with confusion. Adam looked back down at her, raising his eyebrows quickly as they turned the corner, once again saying nothing.

But he didn't have to. They stopped on top of a hill that overlooked the frozen lake, and Belle's eyes widened with wonder when she saw the flashing lights of the annual Winter Carnival held every Christmas Eve beneath her. She hadn't been to it since her mother died when she was a little girl.

"Well?" Adam asked quietly as he looked over at her. "Would you like to go?"

Belle finally tore her eyes away from the carnival and turned to look at him, a thin line of tears in them. "I would love to," she muttered. She had avoided going in previous years since the memories would be too painful, but now was a chance to create new ones with a different person.

Adam smiled slightly as he squeezed her hand softly. "Let's go then."

They walked down the path that led them to the carnival, and Belle immediately felt a smile appear on her face when the atmosphere surrounded her. She watched as children ran to get in line for rides, dragging their parents with them, or shared a treat. It was just like she remembered.

"Do you want some hot chocolate?" Adam asked, leaning a bit closer to her so she could hear him better over the loud music from the live band.

Belle looked up at him. "Do you?" She would have loved some hot chocolate to warm up a little, but she didn't have any money on her.

Adam smirked, pulling her along with him as he walked toward the stand selling the hot beverage. "Come on, I'll buy some for you," he told her.

She stood next to Adam while he ordered two cups of hot chocolate, looking around at all the festivities. It had been magical to her when she was a little girl, and it still had that touch of magic.

"Here you go."

Belle turned back to Adam, seeing that he was holding a steaming cup out for her. She smiled as she took it from him, taking a small, cautious sip. "Mmm... French vanilla?"

"It sounded better than some of the other flavors," Adam explained, taking a sip of his own as they began walking again.

"Well, it's one of my favorites," Belle assured him, wrapping both of her hands around the cup to try to warm her fingers. Though she couldn't help but think that she preferred the warmth of Adam's hand when he had held hers...

They drank some of their hot chocolate while watching the band before walking around the rest of the carnival to see everything else. They looked at the variety of Christmas trees, cast their votes for their favorite snowman, and watched a few of the sled races. Belle found that she couldn't keep the smile off her face as they continued to walk around, Adam feeling the same as he took her hand again and pulled her over to a bench and sat down. She smiled up at him, taking a sip of her hot chocolate before laying her head on his shoulder. Adam looked down at her with surprise before smiling himself, wrapping his arm around her.

A light snowfall had begun as they finished their hot chocolate. They got up from the bench to throw their cups away before Adam took her hand. "Come with me, Belle," he muttered. "I'd like to show you something."

Belle nodded, allowing him to pull her along. Adam led her away from the bright, flashing lights and laughter of the carnival, bringing her out onto the wooden pier that went out over the frozen lake. Her eyes shone as she looked out at the breathtaking sight before her, the nearly full moon casting a beautiful glow down on the ice.

"I love this spot," Adam told her quietly, smiling slightly when he saw her awe.

"Yeah, I can see why," Belle replied, not able to look away. "It's beautiful... Almost magical."

Adam took a couple of steps forward so that he was standing beside her, looking out at the frozen lake as well. "I knew you'd love it," he muttered.

Belle looked up at him, intertwining her fingers with his as she moved a bit closer. But before either of them could say anything, they heard the soft, slow melody of a new song float over to them. Adam looked down at her, and their gazes met as she slowly turned to face him. Keeping his hold on her hand, he uncertainly reached out and placed his other hand lightly on her waist. Belle smiled at him as she rested her free hand on his shoulder and got closer before they began to move together to the gentle melody.

As they slowly swayed, Belle found that all she could do was stare into Adam's dark eyes. They were eyes that had once terrified her with their coldness, but now entranced her with their gentleness. Everything seemed to fade away around her, the only thing important to her being her and Adam together. As she continued to look deeper into them, she could see an image starting to form that she could use for his sketch, but it was one she still couldn't quite make out.

She didn't notice that the song had ended until Adam stopped moving, taking his hand from her waist and slowly twirling her once. Belle smiled and laughed a little as she faced him again, seeing something almost beautiful about him through the light snowflakes that were still falling. It was something in him she had never seen.

Adam returned the smile as he reached forward and lightly brushed some hair out of her face, his hand resting on her cheek. He looked into her eyes for a moment before he slowly began to lean toward her.

Belle closed her eyes when he got closer, but he paused hesitantly when their faces were mere inches apart. She waited for a moment longer, almost able to feel his lips against hers since they were so close, before she leaned forward and filled the space between them, kissing him softly.

She pulled away quickly, but she rested her forehead against Adam's, lingering close to him. Adam ran his fingers tenderly through her hair before winding his arm around her waist. Belle reached up and pulled him into another kiss, his soft, gentle lips moving along with hers. She had a feeling this had been Adam's wish, for it fit with her own...

Then, her cell phone began to ring from her pocket. Belle sighed as she reluctantly broke the kiss and quickly pulled it out, her eyes narrowing in confusion when she didn't recognize the number.

"Who is it?" Adam asked, looking at her curiously.

"I don't know," Belle answered before flipping her phone open and bringing it to her ear. "Hello?"

_"Thank God I got a hold of you, Belle."_

"John?" Belle was surprised to hear his voice since it was the last one she was expecting. "Why are you calling me?" She felt Adam's eyes on her intently, hearing his quiet growl at the name.

_"Look, I know you don't want to hear from me, Belle, but please, this is important," _John Hennigan told her with a sigh. _"Something happened to your father's knee."_

Belle's eyes widened with fear, knowing how bad his injured knee could be at times. "What happened?" she asked anxiously. "Is he okay?"

_"I don't know," _John answered heavily. _"It just kind of... gave out. He's resting at your house now, but you should be here. He may need medical attention."_

Dread coursed through Belle as she thought about the situation, glancing at the man with her and seeing the worry on his face. She had made an agreement to take her father's place with Adam, and she would violate that if she left. But her father was hurt, and she had to take care of him...

"I... I'll be there soon," Belle finally muttered, running her hand through her hair nervously. "I'm on my way."

_"Okay, Belle. See you soon." _John said. _"Bye."_

"Bye." Belle flipped her phone shut and put it in her pocket, closing her eyes as tears burned in them.

Adam looked at her with concern, placing his hand on her arm. "Belle?" he said.

After a moment, Belle looked back at him as she wiped her eyes. "I know I said I'd stay in my dad's place," she told him quietly, unable to meet his gaze. "But he's hurt, Adam. I need to be there to help... Please, let me see him."

There was a long moment of silence as Adam simply looked at Belle, who was struggling to hold back tears. He knew he loved her, hoping that while she stayed, she would grow to love him too...

But he wasn't that heartless. Though he knew the consequences of what he had to do, his love for her made his decision as Adam pulled her into his arms and held her close. "Go to your father, Belle," he muttered, those words sealing his fate.

Belle looked up at him with surprise. "Really?"

Adam nodding, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "Yes, Belle," he said. "Go."

Fighting a fresh wave of tears, Belle hugged Adam tightly and buried her face in his chest. "Thank you," she whispered. Then, she released him, squeezing his hand before running back toward the carnival so she could head home. She didn't live that far from the carnival grounds, so it wouldn't take her long to get there.

Adam stayed on the pier, watching her leave until she was out of sight before he began to slowly walk back toward the carnival himself. That night, he had felt hope for the first time since he had been given the enchanted rose. That night, he felt that the curse would actually be lifted.

But now, Belle was gone, probably not having the intention of returning. And along with her had gone that hope. His love for her had confirmed what he already knew.

Nothing could stop him from becoming the monster he was meant to be.

**Author's Note**: So close! Hope you guys liked this chapter! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	9. Chapter 8: The Mob

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey! Thank you to **x0allisonqt0x**, **Mattaggot**, **StraightxEdgex1991**, **stephiexo95**, and **ZephyrHarrillin** for your reviews! I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and I hope you like this one too!

_Chapter 8- The Mob_

Belle hurried up the walkway that brought her up to the house, going up the porch steps and knocking on the door. "Dad!" she called. But as she waited for him to answer, she had the feeling that something wasn't right.

She was about to knock again when someone grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides. Belle screamed as she tried to struggle out of their hold with little success. "Let me go!"

The person placed his hand over her mouth and got close to her ear. "Quiet down, Belle," the voice of Mike Mizanin told her. "We don't want to alert the neighbors."

Narrowing her eyes angrily, Belle bit down on Mike's finger, causing him to hiss in pain and remove his hand. "Ow!" Growling angrily, Mike reached forward and pushed the door open, shoving Belle roughly inside. She winced when she hit the floor, Mike entering the house after her and shutting the door behind them.

"Belle!"

Gasping quietly, Belle quickly looked up, seeing that Mark was sitting on the couch, two men standing on either side of him. He tried to get to his feet to get to her, but he was pushed back down by the men. "Leave him alone!" Belle snapped, getting to her feet. She started to walk toward him, but was held back by Mike.

Then, she heard more footsteps approaching, and Belle watched as John Hennigan entered the living room. "I thought you should be aware of your father's knee problem," he said, lashing his foot out and kicking Mark's injured leg.

"Stop it!" Belle shouted, hearing her father try to hold back a cry of pain. "Please, leave him be."

John looked up from Mark's pain-filled expression to Belle's concerned gaze, slowly walking over to her. Mike let go of her arm as John stopped in front of her and smirked. "Belle, Belle, Belle," he muttered, shaking his head as he placed his hand lightly on her cheek. "I will give you one last chance to be my girlfriend."

Belle shoved his arm away angrily. "I wouldn't be your girlfriend if you were the last man on earth," she told him quietly but firmly.

His eyes narrowing angrily, John turned away from her, pacing for a moment before he turned back to look at Belle. "Such a shame... And yet you seem to be close to that cold-blooded murderer, Adam Copeland," he said, pulling out a newspaper out of his back pocket and tossing it to the floor in front of her.

"What?" Belle looked down at the newspaper, seeing it was from a few days before, and saw the cover story about the murderer that hadn't been caught, the one she had teased her dad about when she had arrived. Realizing what John was implying, she moved her gaze back up to him with horror. "Adam's not-!"

"That's not what these guys say," John interrupted, gesturing to the men standing on either side of Mark. "They told me that they saw Adam kill one of those poor women, who was his daughter." He placed his hand on the man to the right of Mark's shoulder. "Imagine that."

"I would know that man anywhere," the man muttered.

Belle shook her head. "There hasn't been a description of the murderer," she replied. "It could have been anybody! Adam never killed anyone."

John sighed. "Belle, the man hides in a shut down hotel right in the area where these murders are happening."

"So? Ever consider he's trying to get away from people like you because he regrets what he did to my dad?"

"I don't think you quite understand, Belle," John muttered as he stood in front of her again. "You weren't there when he hurt your father. I was. The man is a monster! It's a miracle you got out of there alive!"

Belle glared at him. "I think I understand perfectly, John," she replied. "He didn't mean to hurt my dad. You're more of a monster than he'll ever be!"

Anger flared in John's eyes, but he restrained it behind a smile. "By the way you're defending him, I'd think that you actually _cared_ about Adam," he said.

After a long moment of thinking about her answer, Belle ran her finger lightly over her bottom lip where Adam's had lingered, still able to faintly feel them. "He's changed, John," she finally told him, meeting his gaze. "He would never hurt me or anyone else. He's my friend, and yes, I do care about him."

Mark looked at his daughter with surprise, not expecting her to feel that way toward the man who had taken her hostage. Then, he gasped when the two men on either side of him roughly lifted him to his feet. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "Get your hands off me!"

"Dad!" Belle cried, trying to get to him but was blocked by John. "Leave him alone!"

John grabbed Belle's wrist and pulled her close, their faces inches apart. "You know, it's amazing what a little persuasion to a group of angry, grieving men can do. They believe every word I say. So if I were you, I wouldn't be as worried about your dad as your dear friend Adam," he hissed, venom in his tone. "Because soon, Belle, you'll be all mine."

"You lay one hand on him and I'll-!" Belle's sentence was cut off when John met her lips in a kiss, and she shoved him away forcefully. "Don't you _ever _do that again!"

But John only laughed, pushing her over to one of the men that had restrained her father, watching as he put her into the basement along with Mark, locking it after her.

"Get the others," John told Mike with a broad grin, listening as Belle screamed and pounded on the door. "Tonight is the night that we will rid ourselves of this monster. And Belle will finally be mine."

* * *

Adam slowly walked down the dark sidewalk, the cold air around him almost making him numb. His gaze moved to the cemetery when he reached it, empty eyes running over every tombstone as he passed it. He knew it was one place that he would never end up, but almost wished he could be.

Belle was gone. There was nothing left for him.

When he approached the hotel, Adam wasn't too surprised when Taryn, Drew, Jay, and Randy came out to greet him.

"So, how did it go?" Taryn asked with excitement, a broad smile appearing on her face. "I bet it went wonderfully!" But then, her smile vanished when she saw that he was alone. "Where's Belle?"

Adam sighed heavily, unsure of the best way to tell them. "I let her go," he answered quietly.

"You... what?" Randy looked at him with shock while Drew wrapped his arm almost protectively around Taryn.

"I let her go," Adam repeated, not able to meet any of their gazes. "Her father was hurt. She needed to be with him."

"But... She's gone," Drew muttered in disbelief. "How could..."

Adam took a deep breath. "I love her," he told them in nearly a whisper. "I had to do what was best for her."

"So... is the curse broken?" Taryn ventured to wonder.

"No," Jay muttered, looking at his best friend sadly. "She has to love him too."

"And now, it's too late," Drew added, defeat clear in his tone. "It's almost midnight."

Randy glared angrily at Adam. "Great, now what about us?" he demanded, beginning to storm toward him. "We're going to be monsters, Adam. Monsters! Don't you care about that?"

"Stop it, Randy!" Jay shouted, stepping in front of Adam as he pushed the other man back. "It's not his fault!"

"No, Jay."

Surprised by the sudden quiet voice from behind him, Jay turned to look at Adam. "What..."

Adam slowly shook his head. "This whole thing is my fault," he muttered. "What happened with that old woman a year ago... This is my curse. You guys don't deserve what's coming. And for that, I'm sorry. I don't expect your forgiveness since I don't deserve it."

Jay slowly turned to completely face his best friend, reaching a hand out toward him. "Adam..."

But the other man only looked away before he walked into the hotel without another word, closing the door behind him. Jay, Randy, Drew, and Taryn stood outside in the cool night, silent as they glumly thought about what had occurred. Belle, the girl they believed had been their one hope, was gone. Though Adam had told her that she could not leave, he had let her go out of his love for her.

Drew pulled Taryn even closer, resting his chin on her head, as Jay sighed and ran his hand through his hair. While Belle had been with them, they had believed that the curse could be lifted, the nightmare finally over. But that wasn't the case. She had left, and so had that hope.

"It's over," Jay muttered.

Suddenly, Randy cried out in frustration. "I _knew _this was going to happen!" he snapped to no one in particular. "We put our hopes on this one girl, and just like that, she's gone. I knew we shouldn't have hoped for too much..."

"It probably would have been better if she was never here in the first place," Drew muttered, looking down at Taryn when she placed her hand comfortingly on his cheek. "Then we wouldn't have had our hearts set on this."

Jay sighed as he looked at his three friends. "We should just calm down," he muttered, hoping to placate them. "It's not Belle's fault either. She didn't know what was going to happen to her father."

Randy quickly rounded on him, anger burning in his eyes. But before he could say anything, Taryn gasped.

"Do you hear that?" she asked.

The group fell silent, listening intently to try to hear what she had. Then, they heard the sound of muffled voices getting closer.

"I'll go see what it is," Randy muttered. He hurried away from the group, running down the sidewalk to the corner and sneaking a glance around the building. His eyes widened when he saw a large group of what he estimated to be about thirty angry-looking men getting closer, led by John Hennigan and Mike Mizanin.

"What is it?" Jay asked, seeing that Randy appeared anxious when he joined them again.

"John and Mike are on their way here with a big group of guys," Randy answered, looking nervously up at the fourth floor of the hotel. "They're talking about a murderer... I can only imagine what lies they spread."

"You think they're here for Adam?" Drew said.

Jay sighed heavily. "You know that John and Adam have never seen eye to eye, especially after what happened to Mark," he told him grimly. "And Adam's not the most well-liked guy. I wouldn't be surprised if he convinced those people that Adam was behind those murders since there's no real description."

"All right, here's what we'll do," Randy muttered. "Drew, you and Taryn come with me to gather up whatever we can use for weapons. We have to intercept them. Jay, you warn Adam. If they want a fight, we'll give them one!"

* * *

Belle tried the door handle a few more times, crying out in frustration and pounding on the door one more time when it wouldn't budge. "Oh, God, this is all my fault," she muttered, walking down the stairs to join Mark as a thin line of tears formed in her eyes. "They're going to kill him, Dad... Adam didn't murder those people. I have to do something. I can't just sit here and let him die."

Mark sighed heavily as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "This isn't your fault, Belle," he tried to assure her. "We'll think of something to do to help Adam."

"But what?" Belle asked. "By the time we break out, we'll be too late." But then, her eyes landed on the window higher up on the wall. It was small, but just big enough so that she could fit through. "Dad, if we can get that window open, do you think you could lift me through?"

Turning to see what she was looking at, Mark smiled. "Not a problem," he answered. He quickly crossed the room as quickly as he could with Belle close behind him. Reaching up, he unfastened the lock on the window with ease, pushing it open. Then, he turned to his daughter. "Ready?"

Belle nodded with determination, and Mark placed his hands on her waist and lifted her up. She placed her hands on the window frame to push herself the rest of the way through. It was a tight fit, but she made it.

"I'll go unlock the basement door and get you out," Belle muttered, looking down at her dad as she pushed herself to her feet.

"No, Belle," Mark told her. "You need to get to Adam. You're running out of time. Go now, and don't worry about me."

"Are you sure?" Belle didn't like the idea of leaving him stuck alone in their basement.

Mark gave her a small, reassuring smile. He could see how much his daughter cared about Adam, and he thought that maybe the kid had changed like she claimed. "Yes," he muttered. "Now go, Belle. Hurry!"

Belle looked at him for a moment longer before she nodded. "I'll come back for you," she said. Then, she ran away from the house, hurrying in the direction of the hotel.

"Hold on, Adam,"she whispered to herself. "I'm coming."

* * *

Jay anxiously knocked on Adam's door, sighing while he waited. He knew his best friend well. He knew the other man had lost hope like the rest of them had, but he had been more impacted by Belle's departure. He had the feeling that no matter what he said about the small mob coming their way, it wouldn't do any good.

He was about to knock again when the door finally opened, revealing Adam on the other side, his face containing no expression. "What is it, Jay?"

"John Hennigan and Mike Mizanin are leading a pretty big group of men to the hotel," Jay explained. "Adam, they're coming for you."

Adam didn't say anything for a long moment. Then, he sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "Does it really matter anymore, Jay?" he asked quietly. "Just let them come."

Jay looked at his best friend in shock, concerned that he didn't even seem to care that his life was in danger. "But, Adam-!"

His sentence was cut off when Adam shut the door again, and he cursed under his breath. "Adam!" Jay shouted, pounding on the door. "Adam!"

"Jay!"

At the sound of the new voice, Jay turned to see that Randy was standing at the end of the hall, looking at him intently. "We need you, Man, come on," he said.

Sighing, Jay stared at Adam's door for a moment longer before hurrying over to Randy. He figured if they could stop the group from getting inside the hotel, that would keep him safe.

He only hoped it would be enough.

* * *

He heard the other man pounding on the door and shouting his name, but Adam ignored it as he went deeper into his dark room and sat on the bed with a sigh. His eyes landed on the single rose sitting in the vase on the small table next to him, wilting further with only one petal left. He didn't have much time left before the curse would consume him completely. What was the point of fighting when there was nothing he could do since Belle was gone?

Then, he heard some noises from outside, and Adam slowly got to his feet and walked over to the window to look at the street below. He saw that Jay had been right that John and Mike were approaching the hotel with a large group of angered men. He only watched them for a moment before he turned away from the window.

If this was how it was going to end, then so be it.

* * *

John smirked to himself as he stopped the group when they were almost in front of the hotel, his eyes shining with excitement. That monster of a man was inside the building somewhere, and this was not only his chance to rid the city of the one the group believed to be behind the brutal murders, but also to have Belle all for himself.

Mike sighed, smiling with anticipation from beside him. "So, when do we go in?" he asked.

"Soon, Mike," John answered, looking at his friend with a confident smile. "Soon." Then, he turned around to address the crowd behind him. "You may do whatever you like. Just remember that Adam's mine."

The group murmured among themselves for a moment before growing silent, looking at John intently as they waited for orders. Mike nodded in approval before looking at his friend as well. "We're waiting for you."

John nodded too. "All right. If everyone's ready, let's head in."

The furious group began to walk closer to the hotel, but then John stopped with confusion. Mike looked over at him. "What's up, Man?"

"It's too quiet..."

Suddenly, the door to the hotel crashed open, and four people came running out, Randy in the lead with a broom in his hand. John and Mike quickly backed into the wall to avoid being trampled as their group was stopped, the four who ran out quickly mingling as they began to fight each other.

But as they surveyed the chaos, they noticed that one person was missing.

"Adam must still be inside," Mike muttered, not seeing any sign of the man in question. "Should we go search for him?"

John watched the fight for a moment longer before smirking. "One step ahead of you, Mike," he told him, leaving his side and disappearing through the door. Mike sighed as he glanced up at the windows almost nervously before following his friend into the dark lobby. No matter what, they had to do what they had come for.

That night was Adam's last. It would only be a matter of time.

* * *

Adam left his hotel room and began to walk aimlessly down the dark hallway. He knew John and Mike's group was there, but he was kind of surprised that they hadn't made it into the hotel yet. He figured that Jay, Randy, Drew, and Taryn were doing everything they could to try to keep them away from him, but he didn't know why they wasted their time. He had reached a point where he would have preferred to take death than to become the beast he was cursed to be... and to live without Belle.

It just wasn't worth it.

He turned the corner and went up to the fifth floor, walking to the end of the hall and pulling down the wooden stairs that led up to the roof. Adam started to walk up, but he paused when he heard soft, cautious footsteps following him, noticing two shadows on the wall as their owners slowly made their way up the staircase while they whispered to each other. Not caring who the voices belonged to, he walked onto the roof and looked up into the night sky, the cold only making him feel more numb. The people following him were close behind, but he didn't mind as he slowly started to walk toward the edge of the building to see what was happening in the city below.

But then, Adam grunted in pain when someone suddenly hit him over the back of the head. He dropped to his knees, a long wooden plank falling to the ground beside him, wincing as his head continued to throb from the impact. Then, a foot suddenly connected with his jaw, and he fell to his back, cringing in pain as he looked around for his attackers. A quiet laugh floated down to him, and he watched as John Hennigan came and stood at his side.

"Hello, Adam," he said, a malicious smirk appearing on his face as his breath formed a cloud in front of him. "Good to see you again."

Adam didn't say anything as Mike came up on his other side, not surprised that they were both there. The initial attack on their part made their intentions clear.

But his lack of response seemed to get to John as a look of anger quickly passed over his face. "Do you really have nothing to say?" he asked. When Adam still didn't say anything, John quickly brought his foot down forcefully on his stomach, leaving the other man gasping for breath. Mike then kicked Adam in the head when he turned onto his side, making him fall onto his back again, still coughing from the previous attack. He knew they were planning on killing him, but he didn't know why they were taking so long.

"You're not what I remember at all, Adam. You're even refusing to defend yourself," John continued, watching the man's pain with a sense of satisfaction. "You're making this way too easy... I honestly don't know what Belle sees in you."

At the sound of her name, Adam quickly opened his eyes and looked up at John, his gaze darkening slightly when he remembered that he had been the one to call Belle about her father. "What did you do to her?" he asked quietly.

John smirked as he knelt down next to him in the thin layer of snow that dusted the rooftop, seeing that the mention of the woman they both wanted had gotten the response he was looking for. "Did you really think you had a chance with her, Adam?" he wondered arrogantly. "Why settle for someone like you when she deserves someone better? Like... me?"

Adam glared at him as he propped himself up on his arms, his face inches from John's. "You're right about one thing. Belle does deserve someone better than me," he muttered. "But she also deserves someone who would love her for who she is... and more than himself."

This seemed to strike a nerve as fury blazed in John's eyes. He looked up at Mike, and Adam cried out when the other man's foot connected with his spine, sending a sharp pain shooting through the rest of his upper body as he collapsed back to the ground.

John reached forward and grabbed a handful of his hair, roughly pulling his head up toward him. "Belle will never love you," he hissed angrily before shoving him back to the ground. He then got to his feet and nodded to Mike.

Mike grinned broadly, grabbing Adam's arms and pulling him to his feet. He dragged him closer to the edge of the building as he chuckled to himself, John following along behind them with a smirk on his face. But before they got too close, Mike stopped when his tag team partner cleared his throat.

"Hold on one minute, Mike," John muttered, walking forward to stand in front of Adam. His smirk only widened when he saw the other man glaring at him angrily through his hanging blond hair.

"And do you know what my favorite part is?" John asked with a malicious glint in his eyes as he leaned a bit closer to Adam. "With you gone, I'll have Belle all to myself."

This thought caused a burst of anger to course through Adam, and he suddenly grabbed onto Mike's neck. He easily shoved John out of the way, watching as he fell to the ground before he dragged the other man away from the edge of the roof. Mike cried out with panic as he tried to struggle out of the hold without success.

"Please don't hurt me!" he begged desperately as Adam dragged him over to the staircase that led up to the roof.

"It won't hurt too bad," Adam assured him with a smirk of his own before throwing him down the stairs to the fifth floor. He watched as Mike landed at the bottom of them, unconscious, before turning back to where he had left John. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw that he wasn't there.

Then, Adam quickly looked to his left when he heard an angry yell, watching as John came back at him with the wooden board again. This time, he effortlessly caught it, tearing it from the other man's hands before breaking it in half with ease and throwing the pieces aside. John's eyes widened with horror as he then came at him, crying out when Adam grabbed his neck and dragged him over to the edge of the roof, setting him on the very end so he was leaning over the street below.

"You will never have her!" Adam snapped, a growl low in his throat.

"Please, don't kill me!" John tried to plead with him, his face showing his fear. "Don't let me go!"

"Give me one reason not to," Adam muttered, his tone eerily calm as his eyes seemed to glow darkly.

John's panic only increased, and Adam slowly started to loosen his hold. "No!" he shouted, frantically grabbing onto the other man's arm as he began to feel himself lean more over the edge. "Please! I'll do anything! Just don't let me go! I'm begging you!"

Adam looked at the man for a long moment, getting a little satisfaction at seeing his fear. But then, the chaotic scene beneath them caught his attention, and he looked a bit closer at the group of people on the street in front of the hotel. His four friends were in the middle of the group John and Mike had brought, fighting them with makeshift weapons they had found. They were greatly outnumbered.

And then, he thought of Belle, unsure of how she would think of him if he took a life...

"Please... Adam, don't kill me..." John continued to beg quietly, his pleas slowly trailing off.

Adam slowly moved his gaze back to the man he was holding at the edge of the roof, another growl emitting from his throat. "You're a pathetic coward," he muttered, dragging him with him as he turned and walked toward the staircase. Before John could get another word in, he tossed him down the staircase as well, watching as he landed unconscious on the floor below next to Mike.

His breathing hard, Adam stood at the top of the steps for a long moment, looking around him at the cold night. He would deal with John and Mike more later. He had more important matters to attend to.

Once he caught his breath, Adam hurried down the stairs, passing by the two motionless men without a second glance. He was focused on making sure his friends were okay and also finding Belle, wanting to know that she was safe. If they had hurt a single hair on her head, he was going to return and tear them apart.

But when Adam made it down to the dark lobby and crossed the room to the doors, his eyes widened when he saw the chaotic scene out on the street in front of him much closer.

* * *

Randy was at the forefront of the fray with the opposing group, fighting his way through them to make sure they didn't get inside the hotel. He grinned when he hit a man rushing at him with the broom he had chosen as his weapon, hitting a second over the head with it.

* * *

Taryn stood in the large mass of fighting men, watching out for the three men with her. She shrieked and covered her face when one man on the opposite side came toward her, but he paused before he laid a hand on her.

"I will never hit a lady," he told her with a small smile.

Lowering her hands, Taryn returned the smile. "Why, aren't you sweet?" she said. She winked and blew him a kiss before suddenly reaching forward and slapping him.

The man was stunned for a minute at the sudden attack before his face flushed angrily, and he took a swing at her. Taryn quickly ducked to avoid his fist, and the man cried out with surprise when Drew forcefully punched him across the jaw from where he had been standing behind his girlfriend. She turned and smiled at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him quickly.

Drew pulled her close as he kissed her back. Then, he quickly lifted her up into his arms and had her kick another man that was approaching them in the face.

* * *

Jay punched a man that was quickly approaching him, watching as he fell to the hard ground before hitting another one with the small step stool he had chosen to use. He sighed heavily and looked around him. There were so many people in the midst of the chaos. He and the others could only hold them off for so long.

Then, his eyes widened with worry when he saw that Adam had come outside, watching the fray with disbelief. Jay knew that he had to get him as far from the group as he could since he was the one they were after.

But before he could warn his best friend, Jay felt the step stool be yanked from his hands, crying out with pain when he was hit over the head with it. He winced when he fell to the hard ground, his head still throbbing, and he looked up to see that a man from John's group was standing above him with the makeshift weapon in his hand.

* * *

Adam slowly paced the sidewalk, watching the fight in front of him with shock. He scanned the crowd, seeing Randy near the middle attacking his enemies with a broom, Taryn standing with Drew as he fought people off with an empty trash can...

Then, his eyes widened with fear when he saw Jay lying on the ground, a man he didn't recognize standing over him with a step stool in his hands. He had to try do something to stop this madness before someone he cared about got hurt.

"Stop!" Adam shouted, pushing into the crowd and trying to separate them as he made his way toward his best friend. He would hand himself over to this mob if he had to. "Stop it! Enough!"

However, his words went unheeded as the people around him continued to fight with each other. Adam sighed with frustration, but stopping the fight wasn't as important to him as saving Jay.

But Adam suddenly stopped, his eyes landing on someone who was watching the chaotic scene from across the street. It was an old woman, the same one who had given him the enchanted rose one year before, and her dark eyes had found him.

Then, an older man who was part of John's group and had helped to lock up Mark and Belle pulled out a small handgun he had on his belt, trying to take aim at Adam with a shaking hand. "You won't get away with killing my daughter," he muttered to himself. Then, after another moment, he fired into the crowd. Everyone slowly grew quiet at the sudden, startling sound as they all turned to look at him in disbelief at his recklessness.

All except one.

The pain was mind-numbing, much more intense than he had ever felt before. Somehow, he didn't think something that painful could heal. His breath coming shakily, Adam slowly looked down at his quickly moving chest, seeing his blood beginning to soak through his shirt.

**Author's Note**: And... a cliffhanger. I'm sure you know this part in the movie. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


	10. Chapter 9: Transformation

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: Hey! Thanks for your reviews for the last chapter, guys! Much appreciated! This is the last chapter for this story. I had to include this aspect of the movie since, well, it's my favorite, lol. And, I also realized that there were a few aspects of Beauty and the Beast I didn't include in this one, so I will say that a sequel is in planning stages. I'm not exactly sure when it'll start getting posted, but it's being planned out. So, keep an eye out for it! Thanks again, you guys! Enjoy the last chapter!

_Chapter 9- Transformation_

Adam stared down at the crimson quickly staining his shirt with fear. Though the pain hadn't quite registered, he knew he had been shot. His gaze moved to where the old woman was standing, finding that she was still watching him impassively.

Jay looked up at him with worry as he pushed himself up to his knees, watching as his best friend's face drained of color while he wavered on his feet for a moment before collapsing to the ground. "Adam!" He quickly got to his feet and pushed his way past some people until he reached the other man, Drew, Taryn, and Randy joining him soon after. The rest of the large group backed away from them while Jay dropped down next to Adam, gently turning him onto his back. He was coughing a little as he gasped for breath, his eyes closed tightly in pain.

"Adam..."

* * *

Belle ran down the dark street, suddenly stopping when she heard the loud sound of a gunshot echoing in the night air around her. Fear coursed through her as she wondered what was going on, but she shook the feeling off as she hurried past the cemetery. She had to find him before...

But when she rounded the corner onto the street the hotel was on, she stopped and gasped at the sight before her. A large group of people was standing on the street, an old woman off to the side watching them. Then, one man collapsed to the ground, and when the rest of the crowd backed away from him while four people she recognized approached him, she immediately knew who it was. And her heart nearly stopped.

"_No_!"

Belle saw Jay, Drew, Taryn, and Randy look up as she ran toward the group, fighting her way through the lingering crowd before kneeling down next to Adam. She could feel the dark eyes of the woman on her intently, but she ignored it as she looked down on Adam, tears rushing to her eyes when she saw how pale his face was and the blood quickly blossoming on his chest...

"Hold on, Adam... Please..."

Jay looked at her sadly for a moment before he quickly looked up when he heard footsteps approaching them. He got to his feet and stood in front of Belle protectively when an older man with a handgun hobbled to the front of the group.

"I'm not going to shoot the girl," he told him, putting the weapon down at his feet. "But you have to understand. My daughter was killed by that man..."

"Adam didn't kill anyone..." Jay calmly began.

"No, he didn't," Belle added, struggling to hold back her tears when she recognized him as one of the men that had been at her house. "I can testify against the real killers, I don't care. I was almost another victim. But John told you Adam was the one just so he could have me. So Adam couldn't... You just helped his selfishness."

The man looked at Belle for a long moment, eyes widening with horror as he slowly stumbled backward. "But... Oh, my God..."

Jay looked away from the man and turned his gaze back to Belle, looking at her sadly when he saw a few tears falling from her eyes. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder for a moment before taking a couple steps back from her and Adam, wanting to give her a little time with him. Drew seemed to understand since he did the same, pulling Taryn close to him. Randy remained close to Adam, looking at Belle coldly. But when he saw the tears on her cheeks, his gaze softened, and he sighed as he joined his three friends.

The old woman watched the sight unfold, her gaze staying on Belle almost with interest.

Grateful that they were giving her some space, Belle quickly tried to wipe away her tears before leaning forward, gently brushing some of Adam's blond hair out of his face.

At her soft touch, Adam's eyes slowly fluttered open, and his disoriented gaze found her face. "Belle..." he muttered in a voice hardly above a whisper. "You came back..."

Belle tried to give him a smile, but it was difficult with the tears that were falling from her eyes. "Of course I did," she replied. "I couldn't let... I just wish I could have gotten here faster. This wouldn't have happened..."

Adam gave her a slight smile. "It's probably better this way... Belle..."

"Don't say that," Belle told him anxiously, leaning forward more. "I'm here. I'm not leaving. We're together now... And that's not going to change. I promise. It's going to be okay..." Despite her words, she felt more tears falling from her eyes.

Seeing them, Adam's gaze saddened as he slowly raised his hand and rested it softly on her cheek, gently wiping her tears away. Belle grabbed his hand and closed her eyes as she held it in place. "I'm glad I got to see you... one last time before..."

Belle gasped quietly, opening her eyes. "Adam, please," she muttered, holding his hand tighter. "You can't give up... Don't you know how much you mean to me? I've found where I belong... Here with you. Please... Don't die, okay? Stay with me..."

Adam gave her one more weak smile before his eyes slowly closed, his head lolling limply to the side as his hand slipped from her grasp and hit the hard ground.

"No..." Belle ran her fingers across his cheek and through his hair, placing her other hand on his still chest. "No... Adam... Please don't leave me... Please, you can't do this... Don't die..."

When she got no response, the tears fell freely from her eyes as sobs shook her. Jay sighed heavily, feeling tears form in his own eyes as Taryn silently cried from Drew's arms and Randy ran his hand over his head before lowering his gaze. Adam was dead.

Belle then gently lifted Adam's head up and cradled it against her chest, burying her face in his hair as she continued to sob. Why couldn't she have told him the most important thing she had needed to say to him?

Once she was able to control her tears a bit more, Belle held him closer and whispered, "I love you."

The old woman moved her gaze away from the sobbing Belle, looking up at the nearby church clock and seeing that it was just about midnight.

* * *

In Adam's hotel room on the fourth floor, the rose wilted even more as its last petal fell, slowly drifting down until it landed gently on the wooden table.

* * *

Belle continued to sob, holding the lifeless Adam close to her. She completely ignored the rest of the people around her as they murmured quietly to themselves while watching her grieve for a moment longer before they started to leave. But she didn't care. All she cared about was how she had been too late to save Adam, the man she had grown to love.

Jay sighed heavily, feeling a tear escape from his eye at the loss of his best friend. Randy stood next to him, clenching and unclenching his fist while Drew tried to comfort Taryn. But they all had the same thought on their mind.

What was going to happen to them now?

Then, they looked up when they heard the ringing of the nearby church bell, signaling the hour change. They were startled to see that the old woman who had set the curse on them one year before was standing across the street, looking at Belle and Adam with a blank look in her dark eyes. "What do you want?" Randy demanded while Jay took a step in front of the pair protectively. The old woman didn't answer, turning to look at the clock once again.

"Guys, it's midnight," Taryn whispered anxiously, knowing their time was up. Drew held her tightly as she clung to him, Randy lowering his gaze from the woman to stare intently at the ground. Jay sighed and closed his eyes as the chimes continued to echo ominously around them, all four of them holding their breath while they waited tensely to see what they would become.

_... Ten... Eleven... Twelve._

Once the bell stopped sounding, Randy looked down at his hands, surprised to see that nothing was changing. He quickly turned to Drew and Taryn, who were looking into each other's faces to see if anything had changed, which it hadn't. "Nothing happened..." he muttered in disbelief. "Nothing happened..."

Jay quickly opened his eyes when he heard Randy's words, and he looked down at his hands and felt his face. He was right. They hadn't changed. "The curse was broken?" he asked, turning to face his three friends.

"It must have been," Drew said, looking at Jay for a long moment before all four of them turned to look at Belle. The old woman looked at her as well, a gleam appearing in her dark eyes.

She was still kneeling on the ground, holding Adam's head against her chest as tears fell freely from her eyes, murmuring, "I'm so sorry, Adam..."

Then, Belle gasped when she felt Adam's body tense in her arms, and she watched with shock when he began to cough as he tried to take a breath and color gradually returned to his face. His eyes slowly fluttered open, his weary gaze confused as he looked around him. Belle noticed that they were now a beautiful shade of blue, appearing brighter and containing more warmth. They were just like the eyes she had seen in the older picture of him and Jay, no longer dark and cold.

"... Adam?"

At the quiet sound of his name, Adam looked up at the shocked Belle, and a smile spread across his face. "Belle," he muttered as he tried to push himself out of her arms.

"Easy," Belle cautioned as she helped him into a sitting position. "Are you all right? I mean..."

"Yeah, I feel great," Adam told her, his smile still lingering as he looked up at his four friends watching him. "Better than I have in so long... It's like this pressure has been lifted off my chest. It's such a relief." Then, his eyes landed on the old woman still standing across the street, watching as she gave him a kind smile before turning and walking away from the hotel, disappearing from sight.

Though still wondering how he was even alive and what had caused the dramatic change in him, Belle couldn't help but smile as she watched Adam. He almost seemed like a completely different person.

Then, Adam's eyes narrowed with concern when he saw that she was struggling to hold back tears. "What's wrong, Belle?" he asked, taking her hand as he wiped a few stray tears away.

Belle smiled at him and laughed, trying to blink her tears away. "Nothing's wrong," she answered, squeezing his hand tightly. "I'm just... so glad that you're here and alive and-!"

"Not a monster?" Adam finished quietly.

For a moment, Belle could only stare at him with surprise. Then, she reached forward and placed her hand on his cheek. "You were never a monster before," she told him.

Adam looked back at her with disbelief. "Belle..." Then, he sighed. "I would have been if it wasn't for you."

Belle looked back at him, not understanding what he meant. Adam sighed, and she gave him a warm smile as she lowered her hand. But before she could say anything, they both looked up toward the night sky when they saw the gentle snowfall from earlier had once again started. She laughed a little before turning back to Adam, who was already looking at her. A small smile appeared on his face as he reached forward and placed his hand on her cheek, watching as she closed her eyes before he leaned forward and gave her a tender kiss.

Smiling against his lips, Belle pulled him closer to her in a more passionate kiss. Jay smiled as he watched them while Taryn laughed happily and hugged Drew. Randy looked away, trying to hide the hint of a smile that was forming on his own face.

When they pulled apart, Belle smiled up at him and ran her fingers through his hair. "I love you," she muttered, glad she could finally tell him.

Adam returned the smile as he kissed her forehead. "And I love you."

Before Belle could say anything else, they both looked up when their four friends approached them. Jay reached down and pulled Adam to his feet, hugging him quickly before helping Belle up and hugging her as well. Belle smiled as she was hugged tightly by Taryn and then Drew after they embraced Adam.

Then, she watched with surprise as Randy slowly approached her, knowing that he had always been a bit more wary of her than the others. He looked at her for a moment before a small smile appeared on his face, and he wrapped her in a hug as well. Belle hugged him back, knowing that he had accepted her.

When Randy backed away, Belle laughed when Adam came over to her again, lifting her into his arms and spinning her once before setting her down. She grinned broadly, laying her head on his shoulder as his arms wrapped around her. As he pulled her into another kiss, she knew she had finally found where she belonged.

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Belle muttered. "The old woman we saw at the hotel last night gave you that rose and put a curse on you and the others a year ago?" She was sitting on the couch in her living room with Adam next to her. It was Christmas Day, and after the events of the previous night, it was nice to relax.

"I know it sounds crazy, Belle, but believe me, that's what happened," Adam said, shaking his head. "It started the night I had that match with your dad. I was turning into this... I don't know, it's hard to explain. But if I wouldn't have found you within that year time frame, I would have become this inner beast that this woman said she saw in me... Nothing like cutting it close."

Belle sighed before smiling at him, resting her head on his shoulder. "If this came from anyone else, I wouldn't believe it," she told him. "But I can see the change. I believe you."

Adam laughed a little, wrapping his arm around her and resting his head against hers. "But, it's over now," he replied quietly. "The curse was broken, and everything's pretty much back to the way it was."

"Yeah, look at this," Belle muttered, reaching forward and picking up that day's newspaper off the small table in front of them. "That gang that attacked me was caught and found guilty for the murders in that area. Unfortunately, all John and Mike got charged with is disruption of the peace since you didn't stay dead, but regardless, you're cleared."

"Well, that's a good thing," Adam replied with a slight laugh. "But unfortunately, they didn't get the charges you wanted because I didn't _stay_ dead?"

Belle laughed. "That's so not what I meant," she told him in her defense as she tossed the newspaper back on the table. "I'm glad you're here!"

"I know, Belle." Adam smiled, pulling her closer and giving her a soft kiss. "Just giving you a hard time."

"Jerk." But there was a playful smile on her face as she gave him another kiss. "That would explain why I couldn't see anything to draw for you before..."

"Do you have anything now that the curse is broken?" Adam wondered, looking down at her curiously.

Belle looked back up at him, staring into his blue eyes for a moment before a small smile spread across her face. "Possibly," she muttered allusively. "I don't know. You're still a mystery to me."

Adam smiled, running his hand through her hair. "I hope that's a good thing."

"I would say it is," Belle replied with a wink. "That just means I have to figure you out."

Laughing quietly, Adam pulled her closer. "I have no doubt you will," he told her. Then, his eyes landed on her open sketchbook sitting on the table in front of them since she had been working on it earlier. "I do think you need to change the sketch for you, though."

"What do you mean?" Belle looked at her rose sketch before looking back at Adam.

Adam leaned forward, picking up the sketch before sitting it back against the couch with it. "Well, it's still wilting a little," he said. "But, I do remember you saying that you found your home with me."

Belle smiled, taking the sketchbook from him and setting it back on the table before sitting on his lap. "And I meant it," she replied, brushing some of his hair behind his ear. "I'll have to change it tonight."

"That would probably be a good idea," Adam muttered with a smile of his own. Then, he leaned forward and kissed her softly. Belle stopped him from moving too far back, pulling him into another more intense kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck while he wound one arm behind her back and placed his other hand on her leg. She ran her hand through his hair, pulling him closer.

But then, they broke it when they thought they heard Mark's car pull into the driveway, startled, but it had only been someone turning around. Belle laughed, Adam joining in soon after as she laid her head on his shoulder. "So, uh, what is everyone doing now that you're not staying in that hotel?" she wondered once their laughter died away.

"Well, Drew and Taryn are going on some getaway before they go down to New Orleans," Adam said, his smile still lingering. "Randy is going back to his wife and daughter in Missouri, and Jay is heading to his home in Tampa."

"What about you?"

Adam looked down at her. "I'll probably do the same," he told her. "Who knows, I may go back to WWE someday. Jay and I are both thinking about it."

Belle sat up more, taking his hand in hers. "Back to Tampa?"

"Yeah, probably."

"I... want to stay with you," Belle said, finally meeting his gaze. "I don't want to lose you, Adam. Not when I've finally found where I belong."

Adam sighed, brushing some hair out of her face. "You won't lose me, Belle. I would never let that happen," he told her. "Don't you have a little bit of school to finish up?"

"One semester," Belle confirmed with a slight nod. "I go back to California in a couple weeks."

"Well... We'll have to get your dad's approval, of course," Adam muttered thoughtfully. "But how about this? When you're done with school, we get a place together. Just you and me."

Belle smiled. "Sounds like a great idea," she replied. "I would really like that a lot, Adam."

Adam smiled before he quickly kissed her. "Okay. We'll look into it," he said. "But, we'll worry more about that later. It's Christmas. Your dad's going to be home soon, and I think we should at least get started on decorating that tree."

"Okay." Belle got off his lap, grabbing an Aerosmith CD and putting it in the stereo while Adam started winding the lights around the tree they had put up. She then grabbed the box of ornaments and set it down next to it before she started to help him with the lights.

They heard the car pull up in the driveway a short time later, and Mark came into the house from his trip to the store. He laughed a little when he saw that the Christmas tree was now filled with lights, and Belle and Adam had started on the ornaments. "Hey, guys, it looks great," he commented, setting the bags on the couch while he took his shoes and coat off.

"Thanks, Dad," Belle replied, finishing hanging up her couple ornaments before going over to him and giving him a quick hug.

"Well, I mean it. You kids are doing a good job." Mark smiled down at her, ruffling her hair a little before looking at the other man. "Hey, thanks for helping fix the car, Adam. You were right about the fuel pump needing to be replaced. It's running nice and smooth now."

"My pleasure," Adam told him as he walked over to them too once he was done hanging up a few more ornaments. "It was the least I could do since-!"

"Hey. It's over, kid," Mark gently interrupted with a broad smile, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Whatever happened a year ago is done. And you're important to Belle. That's what matters to me."

Adam nodded, a small smile appearing on his face as Belle beamed at him. "Thank you, Mark," he replied quietly. "Your acceptance means a lot to me."

"Yeah, well, just be glad you passed my judgement." Mark laughed again before picking up the grocery bags from the couch. "So, I got a ham for dinner," he told them as he walked toward the kitchen. "I figured we could try to cook it together..."

"Sounds great, Dad," Belle said with a smile, taking Adam's hand. "Sound good to you?"

Adam leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Yep, sounds like a plan," he muttered in agreement.

Belle laughed a little, catching his lips in a quick kiss before following Mark into the kitchen, bringing Adam with her. She was going to spend Christmas with the two men she loved most in her life, and she couldn't ask for any more than that.

For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was truly home.

**The End**


End file.
